Empirical evidence and policy insights from smart mobility hubs implementation for public office staff in Dublin City

Urban mobility systems face significant challenges, which necessitate innovative shifts towards smarter, more efficient, and sustainable mobility services. One such innovation is the Smart Mobility Hubs (SMHs) as they facilitate access to various transport modes and provide a high level of integration of digital services and societal objectives. By promoting the use of electric mobility solutions, SMHs provide a strategic framework to mitigate transport externalities and reduce dependency on private cars. This paper examines their practical application by presenting a case study from Dublin City, Ireland. This service enables staff from the Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council to commute during working hours by e-vehicles. For this work, GPS data was collected from each vehicle for a period of 6 months. The findings demonstrate that SMHs hold the potential to reduce private car dependency and increase sustainability in urban areas. However, the analysis showed that there is still a high preference for cars. In particular, car trips accounted for the vast majority of the total distance, i.e., 97.5%, compared to bike trips. i.e., 2.5%. The data also revealed that there is a substantial demand for using a car even for short trips, despite the potential of bikes to serve as a viable alternative. The findings from this study provide valuable empirical evidence for policymakers and urban planners to better understand the dynamics of SMHs implementation and its impact on travel behaviour. It is clear that while SMHs could offer significant potential in promoting sustainable mobility, additional efforts are required to address the persistent preference for private cars and encourage greater adoption of active-transport modes.