For breakfast at Eindhoven Airport…

As a traveler, the early time of a holiday flight can sometimes be a challenge. How can I get to Eindhoven Airport on time? And where do I leave my car? But for hundreds of people these are everyday issues. They get up before dawn to get to work at the second airport in the Netherlands. Consider, for example, ground staff or catering and cleaning staff. There is currently no alternative for them to using their own car. Public transport does not run early in the morning or late at night and cycling feels unsafe during the night. The BusinessLine – a form of collective transport – can be a solution to this issue.

Many of the staff at Eindhoven Airport have been working for hours before the first public transport bus starts running. Tom van Koll of the Vermaat Group outlines the current situation: “From about 8 a.m. everything is well organised. But people without their own car now really have a problem getting to work early. Partly because of this, it is also more difficult to hire new staff. Especially if they live a little further away.”  

From traffic jams to cycling routes

During an early breakfast session we zoomed in on the mobility challenges of employers and employees at Eindhoven Airport. Traffic jams in the region and the lack of a safe cycling infrastructure are well-known issues. The entrepreneurs have also had discussions with the Province about expanding public transport. In the future, high-quality public transport (HOV3) will run to and from Eindhoven Airport, but these transport lines also seem to be a solution mainly during regular office hours.” Jaap Verheijen from Eindhoven Airport states that this is not yet a solution for employers. “Our employees come from all over the region. So how can we smartly bundle these transport movements?” He encourages the other participants to look at how we can achieve collective transport together.

With a BusinessLine to the airport!

The desire is to have a BusinessLine running to and from Eindhoven Airport in the short term. Wouter de Valk (mobility broker Eindhoven North-West) and Rob Soeters (BusinessLine project leader) used a business case to show that these collective initiatives are feasible. Piet Steigstra, member of the project team, showed various forms of closed transport. Depending on the need and potential, this varies from large coaches to vanpooling. Vanpooling is carpooling in a large means of transport (a van) for at least 6 people.  The BusinessLine runs (as much as possible) from your place of residence directly to the workplace with as few stops as possible. Employees can get to their workplace quickly, it reduces parking pressure and costs and is a sustainable travel alternative. In the coming weeks, various companies will be involved mobility scans executed. Based on that data, the potential of different routes is literally mapped out. Employers then have a choice: from boarding points to the number and locations of stops. Quickly and directly to Eindhoven Airport with the BusinessLine. That's what we're going for!

Do you want to know more? Or are you also interested in the BusinessLine? Email Rob Soeters.