The third living lab event of the SHAREPLACE carpooling pilot project was held in Zalaegerszeg on the 12 September, with the active contribution of the involved stakeholders: some of the large employers and their employees. The event focused on identifying the necessary conditions for designing the planned carpooling system to enhance commuting to work by ridesharing, via focus group discussions with the representatives and employees of the participating companies.
The aim of this latest step of the carpooling pilot co-design activity was not just to inform the new participants about the SHAREPLACE project, but also to get an overall overview on the potential users’ everyday mobility needs while going to work. In order to draft the proper carpooling system, employees informed the colleagues of Mobilissimus and the City of Zalaegerszeg about their most important decision-making points, that determine their mode choice while going to work, and they also highlighted their personal difficulties of everyday commuting.
As the most important advantages of private car use in commuting to work, shorter travel times, as well as the lack or the restricted accessibility of reliable alternative transport modes have been mentioned by the stakeholders. The flexible managing of the off-work activities – such as shopping or other family related programs – has been also counted in favour of commuting to work by car.
The participants of the focus group have been also asked about their relation to carpooling in general, and about the needed conditions and the potential motivation factors to incentivise the use of the planned system.
The participants were fully open and engaged about the future testing of the SHAREPLACE carpooling system and about the project cooperation to draft and finalise the best solutions.
