In Europe, road congestion is responsible for economic losses of 1% of GDP due to lost time, wasted fuel, air pollution and increased cost of doing business. Just in terms of lost productive time, commuters in Barcelona spend roughly 28 hours in traffic jams every year, while in London commuters waste a staggering 101 hours sat in traffic. On the existing trajectory, overall congestion costs will increase by 50% – or nearly 200B € annually – by 2050. Indeed, countering these trends is vital to improving quality of life for local residents and meeting air quality and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction goals.
Apart from classic public transit and other mobility initiatives (bikesharing, carsharing, carpooling, etc.) number of collective ‘ride-sharing’ solutions have been piloted in European cities but have failed to reach scale because they do not sufficiently meet the needs of users and public transit agencies. This is due to a number of shortcomings:
- Private cars that only carry 1-2 people per trip
- Concerns about private data security and safety
- ‘Surge pricing’ during peak demand times
- High cost structures that require public subsidies
- Long wait times
- Non-professional chauffeurs
As it turns out, car drivers often times travel to work or school in parallel with neighbours who are driving to nearby locations. Young professionals, especially Millennials, are turning to new collective mobility services that are cheaper and more flexible than using a private car. At the same time, city transit authorities and auto clubs are actively seeking “Mobility-as-a-Service” solutions that offer suitable alternatives for citizens whilst reducing road congestion. At SHOTL, we propose an on-demand transportation service that matches multiple passengers headed in the same direction with an available shared vehicle and professional driver, to complement .
Objectives of the SHOTL project
Deliver a Smart Mobility solution for daily commuting that eliminates dependence on private cars, increases use of public transport and reduces congestion, air pollution and GHG emissions in urban areas. The SHOTL project aims to generate positive impacts across Europe by eliminating 165K cars from urban roads, saving 300K hours of productive time and avoiding nearly 40K tonnes of CO2 emissions annually by 2022.
Specifically, the objectives of this SME-Inst Feasibility study are:
- Present an Alpha version to stakeholders & gather direct feedback
- Protect technology and commercial interests
- Perform a comprehensive Freedom to Operate analysis, assess national/EU regulatory frameworks, register software interfaces as Industrial Property and register additional product Trademarks.
- Create a go-to-market business plan focussed on key European markets
