We asked Marc Figuls, Managing partner of FACTUAL, to share his predictions for mobility in 2022.

Demand responsive transit (DRT) will shape the (inter)urban public transport

“Public transport is facing a slow recovery from the COVID-19 in terms of occupancy and the subsequent economic challenges. However, public transport will emerge stronger after the countless lockdowns, as there is a huge political agreement for reaching environmental and social goals. Then, what is the plan?

There is a deep commitment from the public sector, the technology is ready and the user is at the centre of the value proposition. In 2022, the budgetary constraints and the need to improve air quality and lower GHG emissions will be the “perfect storm” to the deployment of DRT lines in most of our cities and rural areas. In particular, the DRT services with virtual stops on a predefined route will take the lead due to their plug & play implementation and a more efficient long-term model.

Advantages of the DRT have not gone unnoticed by the private sector: the on-demand bus will have a surge in corporate mobility. The 2022 will witness many companies offering more flexible and sustainable ways to move to their employees with the main goal of keeping the talent in the firm.”

Welcome to the micro-incentives: first steps to taking mobility to the next level

“The pandemic situation has accelerated the implementation of infrastructures such as bike lanes or low emission zones, but there is also a need to develop soft measures to nudge the user behavior to the sustainable modes. The development of micro-incentives, also for using private transport services, has a huge potential to change habits in the mobility ecosystem. Promoting first/last mile micromobility services to reach public transport hubs or using public transport outside peak hours through selective economic incentives are only two examples of this starting revolution.

In 2022, micro-incentives will be increasingly implemented by leaders in the mobility space, both public and private.  Are micro-incentives the next big thing in future mobility? Spoiler alert: definitely!”

You can explore more predictions from 24 global thought leaders and visionaries who are shaping the future of mobility, liveable cities and sustainable Transport, in our Global Thought Leaders Predictions for Mobility 2022 report.