The Antwerp Management School (AMS) Expertise Center Smart Mobility, Antwerp technology company Sentiance and ‘Peak Hour Avoidance’ mobility app developer Olympus Mobility work together to give individual mobility advice to the participants in www.spitsmijden-antwerpen.be.

The mobility behavior of 100 AMS participants is analyzed to provide individual mobility advice. The aim is to further refine the methodology and then apply it on a larger scale in Antwerp, so the 1,100 peak hour avoiders can be more than doubled.

Personalized and automized mobility advice for employees and companies

Companies have to put a lot of effort into convincing their employees to try out alternatives for the car, although those alternatives are available and valid. It is indeed time-consuming and expensive to take a closer look at the situation of every employee individually. However, the Olympus app does it automatically. For several weeks, the app maps the employee’s mobility behavior. Afterwards, customized personal recommendations are sent out, using technology developed by the Antwerp company Sentiance, which converts the measurement data of the smartphone into intelligent data about mobility behavior. Antwerp Management School employs its expertise and faculty to refine the recommendation processes.

Some practical examples clarify this:

Park and ride is actually simple

Jan’s Olympus app registers that he passes the P+R Linkeroever – Blancefloerlaan by car almost daily on his way to work, and that he spends about 40 minutes on the final kilometers afterwards. Given the good accessibility of his workplace by streetcar, Jan will automatically receive personal advice in the app to use the P+R and the streetcar. The fact that he can immediately order his De Lijn m-ticket in the app, is a bonus.

Cycling is not far

Karel’s Olympus app detects a commuting distance of less than 8 kilometers, which is always covered by car.Karel’s mobility profile shows that he is an occasional cyclist as well.

In function of the weather forecast, Karel receives the advice to try out his bike for his home-work journey. In his personal recommendation, the motivating bicycle measures of the City of Antwerp are listed as well, with a link to the cycle route maps of Antwerp.

The water bus offers rest

Nancy lives in Schelle and drives to Antwerp-Center every day by car via the A12, faced with a lot of traffic jams. Nancy receives two recommendations. A first choice is the water bus, which has a boarding point in Hemiksem and a mooring place close to her workplace. Train+bike is offered as a second choice, given the two train connections per hour between the station in Schelle and the station in Antwerp-Center.

1,100 peak hour avoiders and 4,000 instances of peak hour avoidance, but more are welcome

The ‘Peak Hour Avoidance’ action in Antwerp will run until April 2019. Car drivers who switch to trains, streetcars, bicycles or who commence their journey sooner or later can earn coupons and lunch vouchers every month.

Although more than 1,100 people already participated, together realizing over 4,000 instances of peak hour avoidance, the ambitions extend further than this. After the first registrations, it seems that more intense guidance and, therefore, more personal advice is required to win people over.

How can companies participate?

Employees cannot register themselves: registration for the Olympus Mobility service is offered via the employer. Every company can register for free online at http://www.spitsmijden-antwerpen.be. Employees will then receive a log-in for the Olympus app (downloadable on iPhone or Android). The app automatically registers their peak hour avoidances.

Employers who wish to do so, can opt for the full Olympus Mobility service, which allows their employees not only to register their peak hour avoidances, but also to conveniently order tickets for alternative modes of transportation, such as the train, streetcar, bus or bicycle.

About Olympus Mobility

Olympus Mobility NV has grown from the Belgian Railways and was founded near the end of 2015. Shareholders are Cambio car parts, mobility club VAB, Taxistop VZW and Taxistop ASBL.

For more info or a (phone) interview, contact: