Employer cuts carbon with first ‘app-based’ commuting service

An app-based commuting service trial for employees of intermodal logistics park Prologis RFI DIRFT, has saved around 10 tonnes of CO2 emissions in its first 30 days.

The smart transportation partnership with start-up Zeelo, offers Prologis employees a “premium bus service” from a choice of six pick-up points between Leicester and Rugby.

The app allows individual users to book their own seats on the new bus service and select the most convenient pick-up and drop-off locations. Once a seat is booked, they receive an SMS with a vehicle tracking link so they can see when the bus is approaching.

Zeelo describes itself as “a personalised bus service on a mission to make shared transport a viable alternative to the car”.

In the UK, the average car occupancy is 1.16 people. Where most people used to drive to Prologis RFI DIRFT – either single occupancy or sharing with one other person – an average of 30-45 cars have been taken off the road every day, as well as out of the car park, as a result of the partnership with Zeelo.

To date, more than 50,000 miles have been saved, the equivalent of two trips around the world. This equates to approximately 10 tonnes of CO2 emissions, enough to charge 1.2 million smartphones, or comparable to planting 70 full-grown trees.

Just 30 days into the 90-day trial, the scheme has exceeded estimated sustainability targets and Prologis is looking to expand the service to other sites across the UK.

Steven Haddock, Director at Prologis UK, said: “Offering a viable commuting option for employees is vital to attracting occupiers to large out-of-town sites and Zeelo provides this alongside a superior service with best-in-class technology. The scheme has been a tremendous success and we can’t wait to roll out the solution to our other sites across the UK.”

Sam Ryan, co-founder and CEO at Zeelo, said: “We are very excited to be working with Prologis to introduce sustainable technology-enabled bus services to DIRFT. The average Zeelo scheme takes 30 cars off the road, and we are glad to see that this service has exceeded that already.

“By using data and technology, we are able to provide a convenient bus alternative to driving which saves 10 tonnes of CO2 per month; plus, we are giving staff a stress-free and cost-effective commute.

“We hope Prologis Park DIRFT is just the beginning and we are confident that this venture will expand to more Prologis’ sites, with their clients launching similar services.”