ON CAMPUS
campusreview.com.au
Crack the
campus
commute
Addressing campus transport
issues through shared mobility.
By Kevin Orr
A
ustralia’s transport culture consists
primarily of single-occupancy
commutes. We are a car-loving
nation, and this is causing headaches for
universities around the country.
Growth in student numbers and scarce
parking facilities, mixed with our existing
congestion crisis in cities, is resulting in
major issues for students, campuses and
surrounding areas. With the cost of living
rising across Australia, renting a place near
university is seldom an option. Students are
often left with no choice but to commute.
With an increase in students of around
4 per cent every year, simply building
additional parking infrastructure is nothing
more than a bandaid solution. Our
population will continue to grow, as will
university enrolments. To top it off, space
around uni campuses is filling up and
we simply don’t have the room to keep
building parking facilities and roads.
With increased congestion, lack of
parking and a rapidly growing population,
what choice do universities have to address
these transport issues head-on?
The answer lies in shared mobility.
SUSTAINABILITY IN SHARED MOBILITY
As hubs of constant traffic and congestion,
universities should employ sustainable
solutions that can tackle transport issues
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right away. These solutions take the form
of shared mobility technology, which
includes options such as carpooling and
on-demand buses. These technologies are
designed to reduce the number of vehicles
on our roads by offering a replacement to
the single‑occupant commute.
These solutions are beneficial in both
cities and regional areas, as they can
reduce the number of vehicles clogging up
essential roads, as well as better connect
lower-density areas which have insufficient
public transport options. In fact, research
such as the Creating Liveable Cities report
by RMIT found public transport in outer
suburbs around the country is falling
behind, such as only 2 per cent of Sydney
suburbs meeting access targets.
University students are ideal users of
these solutions, as they are more receptive
to modern digital technologies and tend
to be more comfortable with the idea of
ridesharing, due to their adoption of apps
such as Uber. Campuses around Australia
including the University of Newcastle
and University of the Sunshine Coast are
benefitting from an integrated ridesharing
solution, offering students an enjoyable
transport experience. In fact, UON’s
carpool offering has seen a 284 per cent
year-on-year growth in users.
Another option is to provide students
with access to high occupancy vehicles
available on-demand, such as buses, to
reduce the number of cars on our roads
and provide students with a reliable, digital
transport solution – something particularly
useful in regional areas where traditional
buses are scarce.
BENEFITS OF SHARED TRANSPORT
TO UNIVERSITIES
The benefits go beyond just students
and the community who receive a better
transport experience and less congested
roads. Through accessing user data,
universities gain the knowledge to make
better decisions regarding transport
infrastructure, allowing them to make
the most of their available space and
potentially create more space by removing
unnecessary infrastructure.
The live data includes insights such
as the number of trips taken, kilometres
travelled, as well as how much CO 2 is
saved as a result of the initiative to track
emissions. This is extremely useful data for
universities. For example, they could see
which carparks are filling up the most, and
which are underutilised. To control the flow
of traffic, priority car spaces which serve as
an incentive for drivers could be placed in
lesser-used carparks. This ensures drivers
are making use of the space, and rewards
students for carpooling.
Furthermore, rather than spend money
on building new parking spaces near
overcrowded areas, universities can save
money by reducing the number of vehicles
accessing these spaces.
Universities are also able to make small yet
significant changes to foot traffic flow, which
is indicated through user data. Students
flocking to one carpark over another can
indicate there is a concentration of classes
in that specific area. The administration
can use these insights to spread out class
locations to different buildings in order to
discourage bottlenecking on the roads and
inside the campus.
Transitioning to higher occupancy
vehicles and commutes also helps
universities with their environmental
initiatives. UON specifically implemented
the solution to fall in line with its
Environmental Sustainability Plan. Cars are
a major pollutant, especially when idling,
so encouraging sustainable ridesharing
can help universities meet their emissions
targets, and track their progress through
data provided by the app.
As our population grows and enrolments
increase, universities must act immediately
to address transport issues, rather
than await the lengthy development of
infrastructure which will only be surpassed
by further population growth.
Shared mobility is a transport solution that
is quick and easy to implement. It can help
universities battle congestion, provide an
enjoyable transport experience for students,
and make better infrastructure decisions to
alleviate student parking struggles. ■
Kevin Orr is the chief executive and
co-founder of Liftango.