While flying cars – and in the real world, driverless vehicles – sound impressively futuristic, the adoption of technology by the transport and mobility sector today is driven by a more fundamental need: sustainability.
"Mark my word: a combination aeroplane and motorcar is coming. You may smile, but it will come.” This prediction was made by vehicle manufacturer Henry Ford in 1940, but looking to the skies 83 years later, there’s still no sign of flying cars. Over this period, we have, however, seen technology ever-more integrated into vehicles and more recently, the uptake of ever-more sophisticated solutions for things like route optimisation software, mobility-as-a-service platforms and vehicle tracking systems.
While flying cars – and in the real world, driverless vehicles – sound impressively futuristic, the adoption of technology by the transport and mobility sector today is driven by a more fundamental need: sustainability. November 26th marks the UN’s World Sustainable Transport Day, which draws attention to the carbon footprint of the industry and the need to provide mobility systems which advance ‘economic and social development to benefit today’s and future generations — in a manner that is safe, affordable, accessible, efficient, and resilient.’
Electric vehicles (EVs) are one potential means of achieving this aim: switching from a regular vehicle to an EV can reduce your carbon footprint by an average of 2 tons per year. According to the RAC, there are around 1.1 million zero-emission Battery Electric Vehicles (cars) on the UK's roads, and with around 680,000 plug-in hybrids. Buying an EV can help individuals reduce their carbon footprint and, with the UK banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2035, it’s a move many of us will make in the coming years. This is only part of the solution though.
Organisations operating in the transport and mobility sector also have a role to play. In addition to adding EVs to their fleets, companies can also adopt bespoke software and systems. These will not only help reduce their carbon footprint, but also the time and effort involved in operating and running their business.
Not sure where to start? Below are a number of solutions to help accelerate operations while putting the brakes on your environmental impact:
Route optimisation planning software
This type of software is used by firms in sectors including logistics and delivery, ride-sharing and transportation, and field service management, such as utilities firms that have a large team of technicians responding to call-outs.
Planning the ‘best’ routes in advance and in real time can reduce time spent on the roads (by avoiding areas of congestion, for instance) and reduce running costs and emissions (by minimising idle time and avoiding high emission zones and associated fees).
Mobility-as-a-service (Maas) platforms
Juniper Research has predicted that the MaaS user base will grow by 326% between 2023 and 2028, driven in part by government initiatives. This is the case in the UK, with MaaS comprising one of eight work streams in the government’s Future of Transport regulatory review, part of its Future of Transport programme.
It defines MaaS as ‘the integration of various modes of transport along with information and payment functions into a single mobility service.’ This can usually be accessed via a smartphone app or digital platform. By streamlining and optimising transport, organisations can use resources more efficiently, thus minimising their carbon footprint.
In public transport, for instance, a consumer-facing MaaS app lets users plan their routes, buy tickets in advance and access real-time information. Providing a better user experience plays a key part in encouraging public transport use, which typically has a lower carbon footprint compared with individual vehicle use.
Fleet management software
By optimising, monitoring and overseeing vehicles, fleet management software allows organisations to streamline operations whilst reducing manual tasks and human error. These platforms can collect and analyse huge volumes of data, resulting in better decision making and fleet utilisation.
Typical features include GPS tracking, compliance and reporting, driver monitoring and expense tracking. Appdrawn worked with traffic management solution provider Renteq to create such a solution, which can be accessed anywhere on any mobile device, freeing up team members to work however and wherever they wish. In addition to having “streamlined the current processes within my business”, said MD Sean Pannell, it also allows the company to manage other areas of the business, such as HR and financial reporting.
Vehicle Tracking Systems
Software for vehicle tracking uses GPS to monitor and manage vehicle movement in real time. In addition to gathering data on vehicles, it can also collate information on driver behaviour, such as instances of speeding, unnecessary acceleration and excessive idling times. With reporting and analytics features, such behaviour can be highlighted and addressed, helping to reduce emissions and an organisation’s carbon footprint.
In addition, vehicle tracking systems help optimise fleet efficiency and enable businesses to comply with regulations more easily and enhance safety and security. Managers can be alerted to unauthorised vehicle use and potential thefts, for instance, while geo-fencing can be used to set virtual boundaries and ensure vehicles remain in permitted areas.
Adopting any of the above solutions will be a significant decision for any organisation, but the long-term gains will also be sizeable. Appdrawn has experience with organisations in the transport and mobility sector, and we work with clients to design, create and deploy bespoke software. We can’t promise flying cars (yet!) but we can guarantee applications and systems that enable efficiency and help companies travel toward a greener future.