Zurich, 5 March 2021
Cycling is one of the most sustainable forms of mobility and its market is growing every year. The ever increasing number of bikes on the road and the need for physical distancing have been forcing cities to expand their cycling infrastructure. However, cycling needs to be a safe experience for the user before, during and after the ride.
With this in mind, the Eurapco Lab Core Innovation Team has initiated the Heads-up initiative, a smartphone application combined with a platform that uses open data sources to ensure a safe cycle route and to alert users about areas with, for instance, a high rate of bicycle theft or a greater risk for having an accident.
In addition to covering the most common causes of accidents and inconveniences experienced by customers, the platform can potentially offer a few new important features. Before the cyclist leaves home, for example, the solution could notify the user about current road conditions based on their daily commute, suggesting alternative routes if required. During the ride, the user could be alerted in real time to imminent dangers on the route by way of audio, vibration or warning lights on a screen located on the handlebar. Finally, after the ride, the user could receive a notification in case they are in a high-risk area for bicycle theft and if there is a safer place to park.
After developing the concept based on customer pains, the team validated the initial assumptions by way of a survey. The outcomes showed that more than half of all participants reacted extremely positively to the prototype. It also suggested that most of the respondents surveyed already use digital navigation assistants very often in their daily lives. Moreover, more than half of the participants stated that they would use such a digital solution if available in the market.
As a next step, The Core innovation Team decided to explore what can definitely be delivered to the market based on the results of this exploration from both the technical and customers’ perspectives. Resources, timeframe, and efforts are being evaluated with a view to a future pilot project.
For more information on how cycling has changed due to the COVID-19 crisis, visit:
https://www.weforum.org/videos/20195-this-is-covid-19-s-positive-effect-on-cycling-across-the-world
Source: World Economic Forum
Dirlene Lopez
Marketing and Communication Specialist
