Source: Leverage

Student Willem van Delst from Han University of Applied Sciences, in the Netherlands, is investigating the potential of shared mobility to bridge the gap between station and home in rural municipalities. He spoke to LEV research project Leverage on the challenges and opportunities he has identified, ahead of his report which will be delivered to the municipalities and shared mobility provider studied next month.

Leverage: Why is the distance between the station and home particularly interesting for shared mobility in rural municipalities?

WvD: “Stations in municipalities such as Wijchen and Overbetuwe, which my case study focuses on in collaboration with the Green Metropolitan Region Arnhem-Nijmegen, serve a regional function. People getting off there often live in the village centers surrounding a larger town. If you have to go home from the station, you easily cover about 10 kilometers. The bus is often not attractive for commuting, as it makes a detour past all the towns. The distance is too far for a regular bicycle. And buying an e-bike is expensive. An electric shared bicycle, scooter, or micro-car can then be a relatively cheap and faster alternative. At the end of June, I intend to deliver an advisory report to the municipalities involved and the shared mobility provider. This report will outline the pitfalls as well as the things that are going well. In this way, the advice can serve as the starting point for a decision-making framework.”

Leverage: Are there other problems surrounding the regional stations?

WvD: “Just as in major cities, space is becoming an increasingly significant problem in many regional municipalities. This is because the same public space is being used by more and more people. As a result, it is not easy to park your car in the city center or at the station. To keep the city center safe and healthy, municipalities are considering how to get people out of their cars. Shared mobility can play a role in this. Shared scooters and bicycles are already operating in major cities like Utrecht, The Hague, and Rotterdam. However, this has not really succeeded in rural municipalities yet. I am going to investigate what is needed to get shared mobility off the ground in rural areas as well, and how municipalities and providers can collaborate on this.”

Leverage: Why is it not possible to introduce shared mobility in rural municipalities?

WvD: “The lack of a solid business case is the biggest problem. To make money from shared mobility, the vehicles need to be used regularly. In rural areas, that is a problem. Simply put, not as many people live there as in the city. As a result, providers like Check and Felix cannot make a healthy margin. One of my research questions is what is needed to ensure that this does succeed.”

Leverage: What can rural municipalities and providers do to make shared mobility possible?

WvD: “The first step is to ensure that the conversations between municipalities and providers get moving. These often get stuck because people are waiting for each other, or because municipalities lack sufficient knowledge about shared mobility. I hope to create that movement with my research. Because then we can discuss the preconditions for a successful shared mobility system. For example, one could consider setting up mobility hubs in village centers.

“When residents of the station return home in the evening, they park their shared vehicle at the hub. When they leave for work in the morning, a charged vehicle is ready to take them to the station. Such a mobility hub can be cost-effective, as providers do not need to drive around in vans to swap shared bicycle batteries or collect empty shared scooters. Another important advantage of such a hub is that the shared vehicles do not litter the neighborhood. In large cities, shared scooters are often parked everywhere, leading to clutter. As a result, shared scooters have acquired a negative image.”

Leverage: Municipalities and providers must look for a solid business case. What do users struggle with?

WvD: “What is often somewhat underestimated is people’s digital literacy. To use a shared scooter, bike, or car, you often have to download and install an app. Not everyone can do that; even people between 30 and 40 years old struggle with it. You wouldn’t really expect that from them. On top of that, more and more people are reluctant to share personal information. In that regard, it is interesting to consider a payment system that uses, for example, your public transport card. This is also possible with the OV-fiets, a very successful example of a sharing service. People might then be more likely to use a shared bike, scooter, or micro-car.”