Congestion: The biggest challenge in the Transport sector

Research from Arval Mobility Observatory has identified that road infrastructure, the introduction of alternative fuel sources and Clean Air Zones rank highest in the list of challenges fleet and mobility managers coming in the next five years.

 

With a goal to uncover wider trends in the transport sector, Arval conducted this research by asking what the main challenges facing fleets are in the coming years. The results showed that out of all respondents, 43% named a lack of decent road infrastructure as the main issue, which in return causes increased traffic congestion and journey times – the highest ranked challenge of the entire survey.

It then reveals that 30% claim that the expansion of more Clean Air Zones in urban areas are the next challenge ahead, joint second place with the wide-spread adaptation of alternative fuel technologies also at 30%. The UK governments’ policy towards transport then came in at 27%, followed by increased in vehicle tax at 23% and increased driver personal tax at 16%. 

These results indicate that not only are businesses highly conscious of the practicalities surrounding their daily use of fleet vehicles, but also highlights their concerns of how they can continue to physically around congestion and Clean Air Zones with minimal disruption to their business routines. 

Shaun Sadlier, Head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, said: “The latter especially is a subject that is potentially quite confusing, with a whole range of different measures being adopted across the country and some now being delayed by the coronavirus crisis. Our view is that this complexity is probably at the root of the concerns being reported, because the rules that need to be observed in the majority of cities are quite moderate.”

Sadlier also detailed that the expansion of alternative fuel technology will likely mean, for most transport business, introducing electric and plug-in vehicles within the next five years as the best option. A costly thought for most fleet and mobility managers and one that seems to have a short turnaround time, though there are existing tools available today to help plan this transition to a “green fleet” in a staggered and cost-effective way.  

“This is a major shift, but our experience is that, for most businesses, the transition turns out to be relatively painless in the real world. Certainly, conditions for adoption get easier all the time. For example, a positive development is that an increasing range of models are being introduced, meaning that more drivers have the choice of an appropriate vehicle to meet their needs. Other key points to consider are that choice lists are carefully constructed using a whole life cost methodology and that there is an understanding of the recharging infrastructure and how to use it effectively.”

As these concerns rank second place in Arval’s research, it’s certainly a high priority on the minds of our managers today. The only question is, could this also help impact road infrastructure and congestion too? If so, how?