Transport and Covid-19: responses and resources

Shared mobility solutions could revolutionise transport in Dublin

Study finds all car trips could be provided with 2% of today’s vehicles

Today’s mobility in the Greater Dublin Area could be provided with only 2% of the current number of vehicles, if all car and bus trips were to be replaced by rides in shared vehicles. 

If only 20% of motorised trips were replaced with shared taxis or taxi-buses, the total distance driven would still fall by 23%, reducing vehicle CO2 emissions by one-fifth (22%) and helping Ireland to achieve its CO2 reduction targets.

One in five citizens surveyed in the Greater Dublin Area are willing to switch to shared services.

These are the main findings of the new study "Shared Mobility Simulations for Dublin", which the International Transport Forum at the OECD will present at the European Transport Conference in Dublin (website) on Friday, 12 October.

The report was commissioned by Ireland’s Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the National Transport Authority of Ireland to examine how new shared mobility services could change mobility in the Greater Dublin Area. 

It is based on computer simulations of eleven different shared transport scenarios that model in detail how such services would decrease congestion, lower CO2 emissions and free up the use of public space. 

One additional finding of the study is that shared mobility would improve access to jobs, health services, education and other opportunities for Dubliners living further away from the centre and currently not served well by traditional Public Transport. 

“Shared services improve connectivity, and this results in more equitable access to opportunities for citizens“, says Jari Kauppila, Head of Statistics and Modelling at the International Transport Forum, who will present the report with his colleague Olga Petrik.

“A fully shared vehicle fleet won’t take over the streets next week. But 20% shared mobility is realistic. Combined with high-capacity public transport and the core bus network, that level could already reduce the number of cars and buses on the roads by 18%, with palpable impacts on congestion and emissions”, adds Kauppila.

Such an approach could also help Ireland progress the climate action agenda by contributing towards decarbonising transport,  and as an important step in reaching Ireland’s 2020 targets. 

ITF Secretary-General Young Tae Kim said: “We hope our report provides decision makers with good evidence to properly weigh opportunities and challenges created by new forms of mobility.”

The report makes the following recommendations:

  • Integrating Shared Mobility services into the Greater Dublin Area transport system should be considered.
  • Shared mobility services should be provided on a large-enough scale in order to be able to reap the full benefits.
  • To achieve the needed scale, potential early adopters of Shared Mobility services should be targeted.
  • Shared services should be used as a feeder service for high-capacity public transport and the core bus network.
  • Using alternative fuels for the fleet of shared vehicles can further reduce emissions.
  • The regulatory framework for Shared Mobility services should be set to generate the maximum societal benefit.

The work is part of a series of studies on shared mobility in different urban and metropolitan contexts. Previous simulations were carried out for Lisbon, Helsinki and Auckland.

Free download of the report “Shared Mobility Simulations for Dublin”  (https://www.itf-oecd.org/shared-mobility-dublin)

The presentation will take place at the European Transport Conference on Friday, 12 October, 09:15 a.m. in the Poddle Room, Dublin Castle. The authors will be available for interviews and questions following the presentation.

Media Contact: Michael Kloth+33 (0)1 45 24 95 96 

 

Share this page