ENJOY LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

Speed up your journey when you register with QuickPass. Spend less time at collection and more time exploring. Register using the most convenient option for you, whether online, via messenger or over the phone.

Welcome To Better Car Hire

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT YOUR AVIS ACCOUNT MANAGER OR VISIT AVIS.CO.UK/QUICKPASS a global level, but the local problems still exist. That being said, there are forwardthinking apps like The Miles Consultancy’s Mobility iQ.”

The new “super app” MobilityIQ challenges what travellers do on autopilot (tapping Uber just because they always do) to make savvy choices (is it possible to walk or take a bike to avoid sitting in traffic?).

The app works like a fitbit for each mode of ground transport, collating data on all journeys for cost, carbon, calories (steps) and clock (time) and feeding that information to corporates, TMCs and travellers. That information can then be used to develop programmes to suit company culture. The second phase of the app’s launch is the booking tool.

President of Mobility, Stuart Donnelly, says: “We are building a booking tool that enables corporates to place preferred providers on the app. If they don’t value ride-hailing they won’t have it, and if they don’t want a lone female traveller taking a train at 22:00, that option won’t come up.”

Jyrney, which consolidates bookings for taxi, ride-hail and chauffeur rides on its platform and manages the data to work with TMCs, OBTs and GDSs, has just announced its partnership with TripStax. It says this is a game changer for the sector as TripStax uses a fully-connected modular stack of travel tech applications driven by a central data processing powerhouse known as The Core', so all content is integrated.

Jyrney's CEO, Daniel Price, says: “If you look at rail, air and hotel they all kind of sync with business travel technology, but ground transport isn't really integrated even though it's the connective tissue that holds everything together. The part we are working on now is integrating it all at the other end with expense management systems, TMCs’ tools and integration into TripStax. TakeTwo Travel Solutions is our first client with TripStax."

TMCs, which have traditionally struggled to track that invisible spend, welcome this new technology. Rob Cope, TakeTwo Chief Technology Officer, says: “Working with partners like Jyrney consolidates content, allowing a much more frictionless booking experience. Focusing intensely on the ‘where’ something is booked (mobile app, OBT) and calibrating our technology and content … and connecting the booker, arranger and content in a more seamless way, there’s a disconnect across this process that can be bridged through technology.”

Behavioural shifts

With nearly 80% of travel programmes incorporating an agreement with a car rental company, it’s no wonder there is some focus over changing traveller behaviour. Postpandemic there has been an increase in demand for long-term car rental as business travellers take longer trips, and one in five travel managers are now fleet managers too – adapting as technology enables a broader picture of business mobility.

Oliver Moore, Director of Travel Agency Sales EMEA at Enterprise, says: “Technology tools need to be policy-based and easy to use and we’re working to assist travel managers in building their knowledge quickly, to help them better understand how, why and where employees move around.”

Wider scope

With all companies setting ESG goals to be carbon neutral by 2030-2045, the last mile is a huge consideration for Scope 3 emissions.

Parexel’s Park says: “You have to reduce the emissions generated massively.

"There is no choice and this is hard to do because if you jump into a regular cab, next in line, how can you influence if it's electric? It's not easy to be green but it's not an option. We need to go in this direction, but also need to make it easier for travellers to make greener decisions.”

In another sustainability move, in January FREE NOW launched its Mobility Benefits Card, which is a virtual prepaid card allowing users to choose the mode of transport, even if it’s not on the FREE NOW app, via the budget provided as a benefit by their employer.

FREE NOW Team Lead for UK & Ireland, Kristina Stapulionyte, says: “We launched it to help travel managers. People started to come back to offices after Covid so it was an employee benefit to use across public transport. If you are going to the office twice a week you don’t need a private car.”

If company culture requires a more sleek approach, chauffeurs are still on call. Blacklane has watched the ride hailing trend closely and changes in behaviour have pushed it to diversify to on-demand services. The first location is Dubai, followed by New York Modal shift, centralisation, collaboration –new technology can solve it all but it's wise to remember ground transport is an interpersonal experience.

“Ride hailing is great and everyone followed Uber and focussed on the technology, but now anyone with some pyjamas and a car could turn up," says Fidelity's Fergus. New technology may be a boon, but the first and last mile also needs the human touch – with or without pyjamas!