Mobility Special

Mobility Special THE FUTURE

Good access is something we’ve been working on for some time in Zuidas, since well before the pandemic. Green Business Club Zuidas, which is at the forefront of these efforts, has recently noticed that initiatives which once struggled for acceptance – bike incentives, avoiding rush hour, teleworking – are becoming the new normal. This could be a great opportunity to rethink how we organize our mobility.

THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY

Within GBC Zuidas there has been extensive discussion these past months about how that might be achieved. The City of Amsterdam and Dutch Railways (NS) for instance have been working together to map out employer needs and initiate an area-wide action plan. Another partnership is with VU Amsterdam in a project to reduce congestion on public transport and bike lanes. Hello Zuidas talked about these efforts with Irma Winkenius, regional director at the NS, and Stefan Titus, Campus Development Programme secretary at VU Amsterdam.

HYPER-GRIDLOCK Before the coronavirus crisis, the NS and VU Amsterdam were already working together to tackle hyper-gridlock. With passenger volumes rising, the objective was to achieve a more even distribution. ‘The crux of the problem was area development in Zuidas, on the one hand, and more trains and connections, on the other’, explains Winkenius. Titus adds, ‘Amsterdam Zuid Station has been a bottleneck for quite some years, with a massive flow of passengers. Both the numbers of students at VU Amsterdam and commuters in Zuidas are rising. Distribution and diversification of that traffic are crucial. Also key to note is that only 2% of our staff come to work by car. That’s great, but it also means public transport and the capacity of that system is really paramount for us.’

TARGETED AGREEMENTS After the outbreak of COVID-19, the situation changed completely. Suddenly trains were empty, bike lanes quiet and classrooms moved online. At the same time, spreading out travel seemed more essential than ever. Winkenius explains, ‘The challenge is figuring out how to stagger that travel. With education institutions, we’ve worked out targeted agreements for education and public transport in Amsterdam, based on agreements made at the national level. These focus on staggering the beginning and end times of education activities to reduce peaks during morning and evening rush hours.’ Titus: That wasn’t always easy, because besides considering what’s in the interests of the public in terms of transport capacity, we also had to deal with our own limited capacity on campus, with everyone having to keep 1,5 metres distance. At the moment we’re offering only 25% of our normal in-person teaching to ensure a better distribution over the day. This way we maximize the limited campus capacity and we help to spread the amount of travelers in public transport over the day.’

STEFAN TITUS

IRMA WINKENIUS

STAGGERED TRAVEL The developments we’re seeing now all stem directly from the coronavirus. But we also need to avoid a return to hyper-gridlock in the post-corona era. This period is proof that it can be done and that working together – whatever the circumstances – can generate lots of creative solutions. ‘VU has a responsibility to help ensure the safety of public transport for wider society without limiting our campus capacity for teaching and research’, says Titus. ‘However, we’ve also stressed that this responsibility shouldn’t just apply to education institutions, but to employers as well to the best of our ability’, says Titus. ‘However, we’ve also stressed that this responsibility shouldn’t just apply to education institutions, but to employers as well. The City of Amsterdam has been very good about taking this up, resulting in the signing of a declaration of intent by employers in which they also commit to staggering working hours as much as possible.’ Winkenius continues, ‘Over the past months we’ve talked with many companies and organizations, including VU Amsterdam, about spreading commuters out over the day and physical distancing. Employers are struggling with the 1,5 metre rule in offices and preventing crowding around entrances and lifts. Staggering when people work across the day and the week will be the key to preventing problems. That will automatically also result in a more even spread of journeys, which is exactly what we want.’ The important thing now is that the employers act quickly and use this signed declaration of intent as the basis for drawing up concrete measures. So that in future people will be able to travel safely on public transport and safeguards will be in place to ensure continued access to all of the companies involved.

REGISTER YOUR TRAIN JOURNEYS The NS has come up with various possible measures, also factoring in that not everyone has to stagger their hours – although the more, the better. One option would be to register your train journeys in advance. ‘We think it would be very effective to link the workspace reservation many companies already make to the NS crowding indicator app. Employees could register both a workspace and a journey in one go. That would enable the NS to inform them about expected crowding and possibly offer an alternative travel recommendation’, Winkenius finishes enthusiastically.

The Dutch Railways and VU Amsterdam are calling for suggestions from Hello Zuidas members on how to stagger travel when offices reopen, for collaborative pilots, and any other ideas that can help us ensure long-term good access to Zuidas. It’s all about working with each other, for each other – now and in the future!

Hely, the multimodal shared mobility provider for Dutch businesses

Hely is a joint venture of the Dutch Railways (NS) and Pon Holdings. It’s a start-up, but one that’s growing so fast it hardly qualifies as a start-up any longer. ‘At year-end, we’ll have 30 mobility hubs across the Netherlands’, says Michael Baan, business development manager at Hely. ‘Shared mobility is part of a future-proof mobility policy, and many organizations are already seeing the benefits of a mobility hub. Increasingly, they’re looking for flexible mobility solutions – not only because it’s more cost-efficient, but more recently in response to changing commuting behaviour due to the pandemic. That’s where we can help.’

ONE EASY APP Unlike many other market providers, Hely offers a range of shared modalities, including electric cars, e-bikes and e-carrier bikes – all easily available in one app. That means users always have the right vehicle at their fingertips and travel with maximum flexibility. For companies, it’s a one-stop, future-proof mobility solution that can be tailored to fit their needs. ‘We take care of all the details for our customers so they don’t have to worry about things like key management or maintenance’, Michael explains. Hely is also working to team up with other shared mobility providers so it can offer even more choices and flexibility for employees, both at the office and on the go.

MULTIMODAL SHARED MOBILITY ‘Especially in big cities they’re facing problems that need to be solved,’ continues Michael. ‘Our mission is to make cities more liveable and sustainable, so it’s important to us to be distinctive by offering multimodal shared mobility. That includes bikes and e-bikes. E-biking to an appointment in the city is so much faster, environmentally friendly and cheaper than by car.’ For both employers and employees, smart use of sustainable shared mobility can open up a wealth of possibilities.

CUSTOMIZATION When it comes to using Hely’s shared mobility, businesses and private customers have various options. You can start a ride and pay per use from any Hely Hub in The Netherlands. Such as Hely Hub Station Zuid, with 35 e-bikes, and Hely Hub Zuidas, with a variety of carsharing vehicles. ‘But we also have Hely MAX’, Michael adds. ‘That’s your own exclusive hub with a custom fleet. Hely can provide a bespoke service that’s seamlessly aligned to any organization’s specific mobility needs and objectives.’

‘Our mission is to make cities more liveable and sustainable’

MICHAEL BAAN

HELY +31(0)85 00 12 12 6 michael@hely.com www.hely.com

New at Motiv-E: LEASE PLANS

The future of driving is electric, there’s no doubt about that. It’s only a matter of time before all of the Netherlands go electric. For Motiv-E, that future started a few years ago, and as of 1 November 2020 they plan to go live with a leasing service as well. ‘We want to make switching to electric cars a breeze for SMEs with small vehicle fleets’, explains Robert Vermeulen, business manager at Motiv-E. ‘It’s our mission is to make driving electric as accessible and affordable as possible, with a view to the environment, a love of electric cars and personal service for our customers.’

LEASE PLANS Motiv-E has a range of leasing options. ‘We have four different lease plans’, says Robert. Full Operational, Net Operational, Financial and Private lease. So we can offer a lease plan to suit every customer.’ Leasing has all kinds of benefits, according to Robert. ‘It saves you time, you outsource the management and admin, and it’s offbalance financing. Also, the costs are the same from month to month and we help you develop your fleet policy and keep it up to date. But Motiv-E is more than just a leasing company. It’s also a platform with articles and advice on how to make the transition as easily as possible. ‘We not only offer products – like cars, charging stations, solar panels, e-bikes and e-kick scooters – but also key knowledge and knowhow about those products.’

IMPORTERS THROUGHOUT EUROPE Having built up a wide network of contacts with importers throughout Europe, Motiv-E has a solid supply chain, says Robert. ‘In the Netherlands, delivery times for electric cars tend to be extremely long, or they can’t be supplied at all. Thanks to our network, we can supply large volumes quickly, and have the fastest delivery times in the Netherlands.’ It also lets Motiv-E offer some

ROBERT VERMEULEN

unique perks, like hard-to-find electric vehicles, attractive discounts and even vehicles that aren’t available yet on the Dutch market. At Motiv-E, it’s all possible.

FULL PACKAGE With Motiv-E as your partner, you get fullservice mobility. ‘Our new lease activities now allow us to offer a full package for businesses, structured around e-mobility and the transition to that for everyone from small independent contractors to SMEs’, Robert concludes. ‘Our sustainable and practical mobility solutions are tailored entirely to our customers’ wants and needs. We make it all possible!’

MOTIV-E + 31 (0)85 44 44 940 info@motiv-e.nl www.motive-e.nl www.vier-procent-lage-bijtelling.nl

THE MOBILITY SOLUTION FOR ZUIDAS: SIXT+ all-inclusive car-subscription doesn’t tie you down and gets you everywhere!

For everybody in Zuidas who’d love a car of their own, but not the high purchase price tag or lengthy lease contract that comes with it, SIXT+ is the solution. With this new all-inclusive subscription, you have a car whenever you need it, and can cancel on a monthly basis. And all you need is the app! Hello Zuidas got all the details from Roelien de Haas, commercial director at SIXT.

ROELIEN DE HAAS

SUBSCRIPTION Mobility provider SIXT is already known for its services SIXT ride (driver service), SIXT share (carsharing) and SIXT rent (car hire). Now, it’s introducing SIXT+, an all-inclusive car subscription that can be changed from month to month. Place your order, and within just a few days you’ll have a car of your own – without having to shell out for the purchase or a long-term lease. ‘Basically, you could compare it to private leasing, only SIXT+ is much more flexible’, says De Haas. For starters, the subscription can be cancelled on a monthly basis, you can swap cars and keep your kilometre credit. ‘If you sign up for a subscription and think you’ll need 2,000 kilometres this month, but only drive 1,000, you can use the remaining kilometres next month.’ Another perk: if you want a BMW one month, and a Jaguar the next, you can do that, too.

PARKED CARS With the pandemic, many people are staying home more and spending less time on the road to go to work or visit family. That means cars are just parked in the drive or on the street most of the time, and that’s a waste. According to De Haas, ‘People are asking themselves: why have this car in my way constantly when I don’t actually need it all the time?’ SIXT+ solves that, says the commercial director. ‘This way, you only have a car parked out front when you actually need it.’

THE FREEDOM OF FLEXIBLE SUBSCRIPTIONS ‘If you look at employers, employees and residents, you see they all put a high value on flexibility, but for different reasons’, continues De Haas. ‘Imagine you’re an expat and you’re living in the Netherlands for a few months and for a few months in another country. You don’t want to have a car all the time, so a flexible subscription like this is ideal. Or, another example: if you’re a consultant who works in Zuidas, but have to work somewhere on the other side of the country for a long time on assignment at a client. Sometimes you only need a car for a couple months’, explains De Haas, ‘and this way you’re not tied to anything after that period.’ Last but not least, SIXT+ is also perfect for employers, says De Haas. ‘Imagine you hire someone who after a couple months turns out not to be suited for the job. You can just give the car back, instead of still being stuck with a lease car for several years, as employers usually are these days.’

SIXT+

Download the SIXT App www.sixt.nl/plus

TCA TAXI It’s time to join forces

Hedy Borreman has been at the helm of TCA Taxi for three years now. Considered a ‘man’s world’ by most, Hedy herself takes a different view of her field. Her career has revolved around the automotive and mobility sector from the start. Now, her goal is a healthy organization with a secure future. Hedy: ‘I knew when I started here that this sector is always changing. No two days of my job are the same.’

BIG IMPACT The coronavirus pandemic has had a big impact on TCA Taxi. In early March, when the Netherlands went into an ‘intelligent lockdown’, TCA Taxi saw business drop to just 5% of nnormal activity. That was especially noticeable among cabbies. ‘Prospects looked so hopeless that many independent drivers quit. ‘We have no idea when the situation will improve. We have to try to stay afloat’, says Hedy.

EXPANDED CUSTOMER PORTAL In spite of the crisis, TCA continues to develop and is keeping its head high. Among other things, the company is actively expanding its customer portal to grow its presence in the business market. ‘We want to make things easier for customers’, Hedy explains. ‘For instance, by introducing a customer portal that supports both direct ordering and ordering via customer cards and the app, which give employers clear overviews and make it easy for everyone within the organization, from managers to receptionists, to order taxis.’ TCA Taxi is also making strides in sustainability and already has a large fleet of electric vehicles.

SHIFTING MOBILITY = NEW OPPORTUNITIES The recent switch to working from home has triggered a mobility shift that’s opened up new opportunities for TCA Taxi. Companies are rethinking their employee mobility schemes – for example replacing the many lease cars now standing idle in the drive with taxi services for appointments and meetings. ‘Taxis bring you from door to door hassle-free, so that’s a big advantage.’

According to Hedy, now’s the time to join forces and support one another. ‘We really need to help each other out, Not only now, but over the long term, too. We all stand to benefit from making sure small businesses and operators survive.’

HEDY BORREMAN

Use the TCA app to order a taxi fast, with booking options from comfort to luxury (business).

For a limited time only, with 20% off!

TCA TAXI Wisseloordplein 2 1106MH, Amsterdam +31(0)20 777 77 77 www.tcataxi.nl

Zuidas Mobility WHAT’S YOUR NAME AND WHAT DO YOU DO AT THE CITY OF AMSTERDAM?

‘My name is Diederik Basta and I’ve been the project leader for two years now of BuurtHubs, part of the municipality’s Smart Mobility Programme. In this programme we’re looking into how smarter and cleaner mobility can contribute to making the city more accessible, liveable and cleaner. Not only for city dwellers, but for commuters, visitors and businesses, too.’

DIEDERIK BASTA

What’s a BuurtHub? ‘BuurtHubs [‘neighbourhood hub’ in Dutch, ed.] is a two-year experiment to provide access to various forms of electric shared mobility for Amsterdam residents. So bikes, carrier bikes, scooters, cars, to name a few. All clean, electric and for people in Amsterdam to use. Residents and businesses design these hubs together and choose the kinds of mobility they want available. That means individual BuurtHubs can differ in size, modalities and related services.’

Why do we need it? ‘The city is changing rapidly, public space is in short supply and private cars are idle on average 23 hours a day. We’re also seeing an increasing willingness among people to share their cars and/or use things like shared scooters. It’s not always necessary to own a vehicle yourself. With BuurtHubs, we’re investigating whether creating these hubs can help with: • Access in and out of districts and neighbourhoods • Boosting use of clean shared mobility (less private ownership) • Improving air quality • Quality of life in districts and neighbourhoods • Lowering CO2 emissions in the city • Strengthening local communities Additionally, we’re studying the attitudes and behaviours of residents and other users who’ve switched to more sustainable forms of shared mobility.’

The concept of a mobility hub brings to mind something on the city outskirts. So why Zuidas? ‘As the name suggests, we’re talking about a neighbourhood hub here, geared towards local communities. We’re putting BuurtHubs up in every city district, including Zuidas. These last few years, Zuidas has been changing into an area where many more houses and non-work related amenities are being built. It’s precisely for those residents of Zuidas, who are growing in number, that these hubs are being developed. On top of that, parking availability is low in these neighbourhoods, so BuurtHubs offers a way for future residents to get a feel for new forms of shared mobility.’

Why should the business community get involved? ‘Organizations in Zuidas have shown themselves keen to invest in smart and clean mobility through various initiatives, for instance incentivizing bike use, trialling e-bike fleets and joining the MaaS pilot that’s starting soon. Many have employees that frequently have to travel to appointments elsewhere in the city or country. As a result, many of those people take the car to work, even though Zuidas is easy to get to by public transport, bike or on foot.

Also, many organizations buy cars, bikes and/or scooters for their employees, which take up even more space in car parks yet aren’t fully used. BuurtHubs is a smarter and more efficient way to invest in shared e-mobility. When workers have appointments off-site, they can just book an e-bike or carshare and go. And that means they can bike, walk or take public transport to work.’

When will Zuidas have its own BuurtHub? ‘We kicked off on Thursday, 1 October with a neighbourhood evening and discussions within the community. That first meeting went down well. We’d like to talk to more Zuidas residents to form a better picture of their mobility needs. People can sign up by sending an email to buurthubs@amsterdam.nl. In spring 2021 we’d like to set up three BuurtHubs in and around Zuidas.’

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