SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 20th May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Ashotel, the Hotel and Non-Hotel Association of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro, has initiated an innovative mobility trial project aimed at ferrying employees to their workplaces in nine hotels located in Costa Adeje.
The venture, named ‘Ashotel Shared Mobility,’ and integrated within the Sustainability and Digitalization strategy of the hotel consortium, is currently in the experimental stage and has the collaboration of Celering, a technology company specializing in on-demand transportation, the transport operator Sierra y González, the consulting firm Wawa, along with the hospitality establishments Parque del Sol, Iberostar Anthelia, Jardines de Nivaria, GF Gran Costa Adeje, GF Isabel, GF Fañabé, GF Victoria, Gran Tacande Wellness & Relax, and Baobab Suites.
‘Ashotel Movilidad Compartida’ aims to assess the feasibility of establishing various collective transport routes, in the form of shuttle buses, that complement the public transport services provided by Titsa from the primary residential hubs in the south of Tenerife to Costa Adeje. These routes should feature minimal stops, be conveniently close to the workers’ residences, offer superior punctuality, comfort, and reduced travel time at the most cost-effective rates for both the users and the businesses.
The project was initiated several months ago with preliminary phases including the analysis of commuting patterns of a worker sample, route selection, and fine-tuning of the on-demand transport mobile application.
Through this app, created by Celering, the goal is to ameliorate the mobility of employees in the affiliated establishments, decrease the number of private vehicles in operation, experiment with cost-optimizing technology that enhances service to the workers (on-demand transport), and evaluate outcomes to fortify transport options in highly occupied vehicles.
The services commenced on May 6, with three distinct routes linking the town centres of San Isidro, Cabo Blanco, and Las Galletas—El Fraile to the various workplaces at the aforementioned hotels in Costa Adeje.
These routes operate every day of the week, containing a maximum of four stops each way, with journey durations ranging from 15 to 50 minutes depending on the route and traffic conditions.
Users, who registered in advance on the mobile app, have entry windows to their workplaces between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. and departure times between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The buses have seat capacities ranging from 15 to 55, adjusted according to the demand for each trip and route, as reported by Ashotel.
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
Victoria López, the Vice President of Ashotel, believes this project should have commenced prior to the pandemic but proved challenging to implement due to its complexity, despite appearing straightforward.
“We have been meticulously working on this for some time, exerting effort and considering what is most beneficial for the staff. We perceive that the deficiency in investing in essential infrastructure has led to notable congestion and a decline in competitiveness and the quality of life for the hospitality staff, who spend extensive hours commuting,” explained the Vice President.
The aim of the employers’ union, she stated, “is to diminish the number of cars on the roads and deliver high-capacity transport services with minimal stops, reduced travel time, comfort, picking up close to workers’ residences, and dropping off in close proximity to the workplaces.”
Going forward, “the plan is to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of extending this initiative to the remainder of the island. At present, the results are encouraging, and the user count and satisfaction are progressively rising once the initial issues have been resolved,” she added.
Following two weeks of testing, there has been a substantial increase in data and acceptance of the initiative.
Consequently, the project has attracted 400 users for trial, of which 200 are actively utilizing it on the established routes during these weeks.
CUTTING-EDGE TECH AND AI
The mobile app is underpinned by a multimodal platform for shared, sustainable, on-demand transportation leveraging collaborative artificial intelligence (AI) predictive algorithms—a cutting-edge urban and rural mobility trend.
Collaborative AI harnesses prescriptive models founded on behaviour and contextual information to render a more efficient service focused on enhancing people’s quality of life.
This tool, linking passengers, drivers, and operators, streamlines user enrolment for easy trip bookings, facilitating operational optimization for the operator by tailoring the transportation mode, designing novel routes, and stops based on real-time user preferences.
Its adoption enables residents in selected residential areas to access on-request, shared transportation, signifying a flexible non-standard transportation mode that aligns with the immediate user demands. In cases where there are no bookings for a journey, the service remains inactive—reducing CO2 emissions and expenses. If demand fluctuates, the vehicle size is adjusted accordingly; redundant stops can be eliminated swiftly, and additional new stops can be incorporated as required.
COMMUTER TENDENCIES IN TENERIFE
Tenerife exhibits significant reliance on individual vehicles for transporting the populace, with a ratio of 839.2 vehicles per 1,000 residents projected by 2022.
In 2022, through the Los Cristianos to Fañabé section, an Average Daily Intensity (ADI) of 88,313 vehicles was recorded, of which a mere 4,153 were heavy vehicles.
On a typical workday, more than 100,000 vehicles are in operation, exacerbating the situation given that the vehicle occupancy rate is generally less than 1.2 individuals, indicating substantial individual mobility, as per the analysis data from the preliminary phases conducted by Ashotel with specialised entities.
The high volume of trips and the prevailing mobility model necessitate a transition towards a more sustainable and intelligent transport system for the future.
This transition mandates resource allocation, implementation of strategies, and a shift in mobility trends—all demanding the consciousness and involvement of the entire society in tandem with collaboration among various authorities and stakeholders to usher in holistic solutions that mark a shift towards sustainability in both urban and metropolitan transportation.
Ashotel is proposing to operate along diverse avenues with its affiliated companies, commencing initially with an internal mobility structure by formulating work mobility plans per centre.
For instance, the Fedola Group penned its blueprint in 2018 and has internally initiated several measures such as appointing a mobility manager, facilitating parking for those opting for car-sharing, enforcing carpooling initiatives, or collective solutions like the Ashotel Shared Mobility project.
