To get to work tomorrow, employees could take an electrically-assisted bicycle subsidised by the company; or they could tap into their car-sharing app. Then they can take advantage of a car-sharing scheme within the company fleet to visit a customer, before taking part in a videoconference, saving themselves a plane journey. Utopian? By drawing up their mobility plans, many companies are already promoting soft modes of transport.
The consultancy Bemobi, for example, estimates that implementing a travel plan can reduce mobility-related costs by between 5 % and 20 %.
The 2015 law on the energy transition for green growth (LTECV) stipulates that, within the scope of an urban travel plan, all companies with more than 100 employees on the same site must draw up a company or inter-company mobility plan. This would represent at least 19,000 sites in France, according to mobility consultancy EM Services.
These plans cover travel to and from work, work-related journeys, customer and supplier reception, and routes within the site. Companies have the choice of going it alone or in groups, which means they can reach a critical mass to implement solutions such as carpooling or carsharing. " The objective is clear: reducing the impact of mobility linked to work on greenhouse gas emissions" says Céline Billard, mobility plan consultant at Iter. According to the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), commuting and business travel account for 42 % of all transport-related emissions. Second objective: " offer employees different, more comfortable forms of transport that better meet their needs" she adds. " The aim is to raise employees' awareness of environmentally-friendly modes of transport, and to improve their working and travelling conditions.says Hélène Billon, Director of Facilities & Mobility Management at Orange. For employers, it's also a question of image and attractiveness. "
But it is also highly beneficial in economic terms. The Bemobi consultancy, for example, estimates that the introduction of a plan makes it possible to reduce mobility-related costs from 5 % to 20 %. For Mathieu Blaise, director of the Ayming consultancy, ". Avoiding travel and improving mobility means less stress and fatigue for employees, who spend less time on the road and are therefore more productive while having more time for themselves. "Another positive aspect of all this is the reduction in accidents.
Diagnosis and action plan
So how do companies draw up their plans? First step: diagnosis. " It consists of assessing the transport and parking offersays Céline Billard. What is the bus network like? Is there a train station or cycle paths nearby? What parking facilities are available for bicycles at the company? "Second phase: analysis of practices. This painstaking work is to " survey employees to find out how they travel, both to and from work" says Céline Billard.
Then it's a matter of taking action. The experts all agree on one point: the best trip is the one... that doesn't exist! Among the alternatives, teleworking is one of the preferred solutions. At the same time, the experts recommend the widespread use of videoconferencing. For example, according to EcoAct, this solution saves 0.15 tonnes of oil equivalent and 340 euros for a 600-kilometre journey. Not to mention the efficiency gains.
According to ADEME, 19 million people travel to work every day by car - representing 30 % of road traffic - and more than 75 % are alone on board.
But these practices have their limits, as the employee's presence is often essential. Many companies therefore focus on encouraging employees to use public transport - for example, by reimbursing season tickets in excess of the mandatory 50 % - or to cycle, by offering specific mileage allowances for two-wheelers.
Combating self-driving cars
According to ADEME, 19 million people drive to work every day - representing 30 % of road traffic - and more than 75 % are alone on board. One solution is car-sharing. According to a study by Viva Voice, carried out at the end of 2017 for the Observatoire du véhicule d'entreprise, 64 % of employees believe that this type of journey has " the most promising The most popular mode of transport is "car-sharing" (37 %), ahead of car-sharing and the company shuttle.
However, are all employees ready to take the plunge ? While there are now a number of sites like Karos, Klaxit (formerly WayzUp), iDVroom and Blablacar offering car-sharing services, incentives are still needed. At Safran Helicopters Engine, in Tarnos in the Landes region, for example, the car park closest to the site is reserved for carpoolers. " Last year, we also created a 'speed dating' event to bring together employees living in the same area, explains Ingrid Mailly, Head of Employee Relations. Some have discovered that they are neighbours" .
Among the new forms of mobility, car-sharing is beginning to catch on. Orange has the largest car-sharing fleet in France, with 2,000 vehicles.
" Of course be an incentiveby, for example, contributing to the cost of car pooling, but also be coerciveby drastically reducing the number of parking spaces available." Bruno Renard, head of CSR at CEA, chairman of the Grenoble Presqu'île PDIE and the Fédération des Acteurs des Plans de Mobilité. One of Bruno Renard's objectives is to gain 10 car-pooling points thanks to the launch in January of a regional networking platform, in addition to the success achieved with public transport - 50 % of CEA employees use it to get to work - and cycling (21 %). " Those who abandon the carhe adds, then have access to 1,000 service bicycles and car-sharing vehicles to get around during the day, as the CEA site covers 70 hectares. The local car-sharing operator Citiz offers around twenty vehicles on the peninsula, and we have twenty electric Twizys for our employees. An employee who carpools on the outward journey can take a car-sharing vehicle to a business meeting and then return home." .
Often using car-sharing and car-pooling on a personal basis, some employees of the "millennials" generation are turning their backs on the company car. " To compensate for this, some companies are innovating by offering either a 'car allowance', i.e. a sum of money paid monthly or in a lump sum, or mobility credits for private travel. The employee then has credits to take taxis, trains, car-sharing vehicles, short-term hire, etc. The interesting thing is to work on all the new forms of mobility that exist." says Mathieu Blaise.
Of course, this solution is not feasible for a salesperson who travels a lot. In that case, the company will have to provide the employee with alternative means which may seem more expensive at first glance, but aren't always so in the end. " For example, offering a taxi to an employee who usually takes his company car to the station or airport and leaving it in the car park will ultimately cost less and be more comfortable for the employee." stresses the Ayming manager.
Focus on car-sharing
Among the new forms of mobility, car-sharing is beginning to catch on. The Orange Group has the largest car-sharing fleet in France, with 2,000 vehicles, including around 10 % are electric or hybrid. " This allowssays Hélène Billon, reduce the size of the company fleet and, above all, optimise it. What's more, they can be used for both business and private travel. For a small fee, employees can use them in the evenings and at weekends. This opens up mobility to employees other than the beneficiaries of company vehicles. "
Since 2009, Accenture has also been operating a car-sharing solution through Ubeeqo, with five electric and rechargeable hybrid vehicles available to employees. Among the benefits: " employees who have a combustion-powered company car can try out electric vehicles. Eventually, we will only allow green vehicles in our fleet." says Alexandra Melville, Mobility Purchasing Manager. Her aim is to increase the number of car-sharing vehicles and, why not... to share them with neighbouring companies.
Stephane Belair, office manager and fleet manager at Dentsu Aegis Network France, uses the car-sharing service provided by his rental company Alphabet and has put four BMW vehicles into service, two of them electric. He notes " heavy use" . For its part, the daily Ouest France has deployed the car-sharing solution Renault Mobility and provides employees with twelve vehicles that can be booked easily via a website or smartphone. This is a real plus for journalists, who can enjoy the convenience and autonomy of a vehicle 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
