Vulog, the world’s leading shared mobility technology provider, has used its long-standing global experience to forecast five European cities that are set to be the next hotspots for a shared mobility boom. In a new whitepaper, the French company explains why Turin, Krakow, Istanbul, Zagreb and Lyon are likely to become the next battleground cities for car-sharing.
Vulog has identified that to sustain successful car-sharing schemes, cities need a large population with high population density, high levels of private car ownership, and a cooperative city administration willing to offer incentives such as free parking or access to public transport lanes for car-share vehicles.
Turin:
- High population density of nearly 7,000 inhabitants per square kilometre
- Above average car-ownership of 674 people per 1,000 inhabitants
- Initiative governed by the Turin Smart City foundation promotes sustainable development
Krakow:
- Population of just under 800,000
- Dynamic and young population – 43.56% or 332,500 people aged between 15 and 44
- Substantial tourist inflow of over 10 million visitors annually
Istanbul:
- 15 million people in total – six million of these are between age of 15 and 44
- Istanbul is the second most congested city in the world
- Total number of registered vehicles in the city exceeds 22 million
Zagreb:
- One of the highest population densities in the region – 4,316 people per square kilometre
- Member of CIVITAS – active investment into cleaner and more efficient transport
- The city grants free parking for car sharing operators
Lyon:
- Over 2.2 million population in metropolitan region – density 10,739 per square kilometre
- 600 new charging stations planned by the year 2020
- Second largest public transport network in France – city familiar with shared services
Population density is a crucial factor for a successful car-sharing operation. Towns and cities which are densely populated are easily adaptable to car-sharing. The higher the concentration of people in a small geographical area, the more likely it is that they will need to take a car somewhere, and the more likely it is that there will be another user needing a car at the end of their journey.
High levels of car ownership in a town or city indicates a preference to continue travelling that way. However, there are a few problems with high levels of car ownership in a densely populated area. It causes congestion, it causes pollution and it causes parking issues.
Vulog – whose technology underpins Volkswagen’s WeShare, Kia’s WiBLE and PSA’s Free2Move car-sharing operations, among others – reports that for every car-sharing vehicle in a city centre, between 10 and 14 private vehicles are removed from city streets – thus helping considerably to reduce congestion. Car-sharing schemes promote electric vehicles as they are the fastest and cleanest way to move around a town or city, and with cooperation from the town administration, you can leave one wherever is convenient – thus removing the pollution and aiding parking troubles.
Vulog is the global leader in shared mobility software, and its advanced technology powers 25 services in cities across five continents. The company’s AiMA platform integrates and connects various critical functions that enable car sharing schemes to operate smoothly. From vehicle scheduling and fleet management to payment processing and parking registration services, the real-time data-driven technology stack delivers a seamless, responsive service to users and operators.
SOURCE: Vulog
