18.10.2018

The Future of Commuting is Driven by Data

Barney Williams, Co-Founder and CMO, Zeelo

Outside of London, 75% of people drive to work every day, with the vast majority of them travelling on their own in a car. At an average journey time of 26 minutes, that’s close to an hour of wasted time and unnecessary stress per person, per day, the equivalent of 28 working days wasted per year. That’s before you begin to factor in congestion on the roads, the rising cost of fuel and the frustration of finding a parking space upon arrival.

Those relying on public transport fare no better. Public transport infrastructure and scheduling is designed around the needs of operators and regulators rather than customers. Because of this, commuters are forced to battle everything from overcrowding and expensive fares to delays and cancellations every working day. With employees arriving at their workstations stressed-out and not ready to work, productivity declines as a result and businesses begin to suffer.

But there is a better way for businesses and their workforce. Zeelo, the on-demand coach service, utilises a data-driven smart transport model to address the chaos of the daily commute, and recent research confirms that commuters see the benefits of smart travel. Over 70% of Zeelo’s customers are now ditching their car to use luxury, WiFi-connected ZeeloCOMMUTE coaches to and from work every day, while 45% of those customers are now re-considering their need to even own a car at all. Furthermore, each commuter coach introduced by Zeelo takes away the need for an average of 50 car parking spaces, saving facilities managers the unnecessary cost of car park expansions and the hassle of maintenance.

Data-led transport solutions can save commuters time that they would otherwise spend stuck behind the wheel of a car, allowing them to catch up on things like work, their favourite TV shows or even sleep. And by utilising a combination of AI and expert data analysis, services like ZeeloCOMMUTE can build highly-targeted, efficient shuttle routes with flexible service times and real-time tracking via a mobile app. This means that services can be optimised around the needs of users, giving them up-to-the-second information and ensuring that everyone can be serviced at peak times.

The smart approach offers a real benefit for businesses too. With fewer cars arriving onsite each day, companies can save money by not having to expand and maintain car parks, while simultaneously profiting from increased employee positivity and productivity. There’s also the small matter of the environment to think of, too, and with less congestion on the roads comes a reduction in carbon emissions coming from employee vehicles, meaning that companies can make a positive contribution to the environment and their own CSR targets in the process.

These data-driven solutions, championed by companies like Zeelo, look set to shape the future of the daily commute. Smart transportation is a cost-effective option for both business owners and employees, saving commuters money on petrol and parking and businesses the cost of expanding and maintaining car parks, all while benefitting a company’s CSR ambitions in the process. While people are driven crazy by the current model of commuting, a future driven by data could see the problems of the daily commute solved.

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