Could you be encouraged to limit congestion and travel outside of peak hours?

Congestion on roads is not an uncommon issue in the UK or most developed countries.

Drivers are often faced with long delays, particularly around peak times in the morning and evening. With many motorists seeing car travel as a necessity, cities are now trying to implement measures other than creating new infrastructure, to alleviate issues with congestion.

Most people here in the UK wouldn’t have heard about Spitsmijden A2, however, if you live in The Netherlands, this is probably something you are well aware of. The A2 motorway links Nederweert with Eindhoven and this particular route is a major primary connection, both at national and regional levels. The motorway had been struggling with the number of motorists using it and regularly has issues with congestion, therefore the Spitsmijden A2 scheme was created and established. The Dutch word, ‘spitsmijden’ literally translates to English as ‘rush hour’.

Motorists that need to use the A2 route are encouraged to travel outside of peak hours (which for this road are between 6:30am and 9:15am), or alternatively, they are encouraged to use an alternative mode of transport for their journey – either cycling or public transport. By contributing to the reduction in motorway traffic, motorists are rewarded with points which are distributed once a month and can be redeemed for gift vouchers, including iTunes. The mobile app tracks the choice of transport as well as the location and individuals participating in the scheme are entered into prize draws to win cake for their office! The Spitsmijden A2 scheme was set up in January 2017 and will run to early 2018.

The innovative app, Intelligent Variable Message System (iVMS) will be launched on the 28th November for a three month trial. The iVMS has been designed and created to allow motorists to plan their travel along certain main roads into Coventry. The mobile app that has been created, receives constant live traffic information and highlights areas to avoid on the journey. Motorists can plan their journeys in advance (the app also takes into account major events happening in the city). As with the Spitsmijden A2 scheme, users are entered into monthly prize draws, however, the prize is free parking in Coventry.

Here at Smarter Travel Ltd, we think schemes like this are a great idea. We understand though that this wouldn’t work for everyone and the importance of getting employers on board.

Would such an incentive encourage you to change your travel habits?