If we are to keep the global increase in average temperature to below 3°C then we urgently need to reduce our carbon emissions. Whilst all sectors have a role to play, transport is the area where we can achieve substantial reductions in the short-term using the technologies we already have. Transport accounts for 30% of the UK’s domestic carbon emissions, and it can account for as much as three-quarters of the emissions of an office-based organisation when taking into account business travel, commuting, and transporting goods and services.

A newly published book by Tony Duckenfield, “How to reduce your carbon emissions and save money on your bills” gives readers over 100 ideas for reducing emissions, many of them related to transport and travel, so how can Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) help turn these ideas into effective actions?

The role of ITS in facilitating mode switching

One of the recommended actions is to swap car journeys made for business travel or commuting to train, the reason being that, as shown in Figure 1, carbon emissions from rail travel are a third of that for car. The challenge here is that rail travel is much more complicated than car travel, you have timetables to worry about, you have to buy a ticket, and you’ve got to get to and from the stations.

ITS can help by bringing all these elements together in a user-friendly way. An example of this is the growing number of booking apps for travel which enable you to book train and coach tickets, hire a car and arrange a ride in all-in-one place.  An important feature of many of these is the instant feedback provided on drivers and customers which means that it is seen to be a safe option, both in terms of not getting ripped off and in terms of personal security.

Digital Mobility Platforms: Thinking of the user

Some years ago, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) promised to bring together all the elements of making a journey together, but the promise never truly materialised. The concept isn’t dead though and is being re-examined as Digital Mobility Platforms. The story of MaaS and it’s future is being covered in a series of blogs, so I’ve not sought to delve into this topic here. The point made in the blog is, quite rightly, that to achieve mode shift not only does the alternative to car need to be as simple and cheap, there must also be an incentive to switch.

It is perhaps worth remembering the EAST framework developed by the Behavioural Insights Team which outlines four principles for driving behaviour change: easy (E), attractive (A), social (S), and timely (T). All four of these need to be in place to achieve substantive changes, with incentives making the alternative attractive.

For some, the positive feeling of doing something good for society is a sufficient incentive, but realistically, this only applies to a small minority. There are good examples of tools and apps providing incentives to change travel behaviour. These use rewards to encourage people to cycle and walk, and some of these have been successfully used by a number of local authorities in behaviour change programmes.

In terms of mode shift from car, while many car trips are just a few miles and cyclable or walkable, it is the longer trips which generate the most carbon and for these, active travel has a role to play in easing the journey to and from a station. Of course, reducing car use doesn’t have to mean switching modes. Car or ride sharing is another key option

One app to bring them all together?

So it would appear that all the elements already exist, so the question then is, is it feasible to create one app which can truly provide an attractive alternative to car?

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Tony Duckenfield has just had a book published, “How to reduce your carbon emissions and save money on your bills” which provides practical guidance on reducing carbon emissions including from transport and travel. It has been described as ‘This is the handbook we all need to win the battle against climate change’; ‘This book provides the necessary insight: what practical actions you can take to tackle climate change’; ‘Friendly, practical, original’; ‘The book doesn’t patronise or tell you what to do’; ‘It gives ideas and choices’ and can be purchased online via Waterstones, Amazon, or direct from the publisher here.