SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 13 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The pilot initiative ‘Ashotel Movilidad Compartida’, backed by Ashotel along with the Mobility department of the Tenerife Island Council and the Government of the Canary Islands, has facilitated approximately 11,000 journeys thus far, with 50% of these (5,500) previously undertaken using private vehicles.
This scheme promotes the collectivisation of on-demand transport for employees of lodging establishments associated with the hotel association since last May.
This shift in transportation usage has led to a notable 64% drop in CO2 emissions, calculated based on standard metrics related to the vehicle, user, and distance travelled, resulting in approximately 11 tonnes of CO2 reduction, equivalent to the absorption capacity of 500 oak trees over a year.
Additionally, the equivalent of 106 cars has been taken off the roads each day, as reported by the employers’ association.
These outcomes are complemented by user satisfaction, which is steadily increasing as awareness of its benefits grows.
The initiative transports workforce teams to their workplaces via buses that utilise an artificial intelligence application, allowing for seat reservations nearly in real-time.
This project, part of the Sustainability and Digitalisation Strategy of the hotel industry association, currently includes 14 participating hotels in Costa Adeje and has been developed in collaboration with the on-demand transport technology company Celering, mobility consultancy Wawa, and transport operator Sierra y González.
‘Ashotel Movilidad Compartida’ was showcased this Thursday in Madrid at the conference ‘Present and future of sustainable mobility in Spain’, organised by the public-private collaboration ‘The Future of Mobility’, with the support of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, alongside main sponsorship from Celering.
At present, the 14 participating hotels are all situated in Costa Adeje, namely: GF Gran Costa Adeje, GF Isabel, GF Fañabé, GF Victoria, Gran Tacande Wellness & Relax, Tagoro Family & Fun, Baobab Suites, Adrian Jardines de Nivaria, Adrian Colon Guanahaní, Iberostar Anthelia, Iberostar Salomé, Hovima Costa Adeje, Hovima La Pinta and Hovima Jardín Caleta.
ENHANCING QUALITY OF LIFE
Pilar García, Human Resources Director at GF Hoteles, one of the chains involved in the pilot initiative, discussed the benefits of the scheme and its positive impact on her company’s personnel.
During a panel discussion moderated by Gabriel Valverde, Director of Data and Artificial Intelligence at Celering, García stated that the primary advantage of the project is its social aspect, “the enhancement of individuals’ quality of life”, as numerous users of this transport have voiced significant satisfaction, particularly regarding the time saved on commutes.
“In our satisfaction surveys, many respondents highlighted the necessity for the project to persist and not merely remain a pilot,” said García, who emphasised that “the involvement of public authorities in this mobility project is imperative if we aim to improve the quality of life for many more workers in the sector.”
This mode of transportation allows users to save up to 40% in travel time from home to work and back, positively affecting their quality of life, as they experience reduced stress in reaching their workplaces, no longer need to seek parking (for those who previously relied on cars), and face diminished risks of accidents.
Moreover, users also benefit from a 65% reduction in energy consumption costs, calculated based on the costs per kilometre and per user compared to their previous transport methods.
ROUTINES
The three current routes commenced on May 6, featuring various journeys connecting the towns of San Isidro, Cabo Blanco, and Las Galletas/El Fraile, located in the southern part of Tenerife, to the different work facilities in the aforementioned hotels in Costa Adeje.
These routes operate seven days a week, with between 5 to 7 stops per journey, and journey durations ranging from 15 to 50 minutes, subject to the route and traffic conditions.
Users, who have previously registered on the mobile application, have a start time at their workplaces between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. and a finish time between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m.
The buses can accommodate between 15 and 55 passengers, depending on the demand for each route and journey.
The initial aim set by the hotel employers’ association for the Ashotel Movilidad Compartida project was to explore the feasibility of consolidating different direct public transport services to workplaces, functioning as shuttle buses which would supplement the public transport provided by Titsa from the primary residential areas in the south of Tenerife to Costa Adeje, with minimal stops, as close to the employees’ residences as possible, in improved conditions of punctuality, comfort, and efficiency, and at the lowest possible cost for both users and companies.
Following four and a half months of evaluation, the data and acceptance of the initiative have significantly increased, with 100% of those who participated in the satisfaction survey – 83% of users – endorsing the implementation of company-run public transport.
ANALYSIS AND EARLIER STAGES
The initial concept was conceived before the pandemic, in 2019, but the advent of COVID-19 understandably halted the initiative, which was resumed a year ago during its preliminary analysis and design stages, as noted by the employers’ association.
During that period, the transport habits of a sample of workers, route selection, and adjustments to the on-demand transport mobile application were analysed.
The mobile application created for this project is supported by a multimodal platform designed for on-demand, shared, and sustainable transport, employing collaborative artificial intelligence (AI) predictive algorithms, which are the latest trend in urban and rural mobility.
Collaborative AI uses prescriptive models based on behavioural patterns and contextual information to deliver a more efficient service aimed at improving individuals’ quality of life.
This tool connects the passenger, driver, and operator, functioning on the basis of prior user registration, allowing for straightforward trip reservations, thereby enabling the operator to optimise transport, adjust the vehicle type, and establish new routes and stops as necessary.
Its utilisation allows workers in selected residential areas to access non-regular transport, which operates based on their demand, offering substantial flexibility, as it adapts to user preferences in real-time: if there are no reservations for a journey, the service is not rendered, conserving CO2 emissions and costs; if reservations fluctuate, the vehicle size can be altered accordingly; if a stop is underutilised, it can be removed easily, or others can be added swiftly.
