GoodOnFoot

GoodOnFoot aims to use existing, active and sustainable people mobility for freight transport in cities. The system is an interface between people on the move and customers (private or companies) who have small goods to send.

Client: bmvit, mobility of the future, 5th call for tenders

Duration: July 2015 to June 2016 (12 months)

Project partners: Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences, Logistikum Steyr; IT-eXperience Informationstechnologie GesmbH; TU Vienna, Institute of Transport Sciences

LOI partners: checkrobin GesmbH; swissconnect AG; Österreichische Post AG; ÖAR – umbrella organisation of Austrian associations for the disabled; mobility agency Vienna – foot traffic representative of the city of Vienna; Walk-space – the Austrian association for pedestrians; Designer Outlet Center Parndorf; Raiffeisenbank – climate protection initiative; Zurich University of Applied Sciences; Newcaste University – newrail; Swiss Federal Railways

Project description: Due to increasing online trade and the ever closer networking of the business world, the transport needs for small goods are increasing in both the private and business sectors. Timely transports over often short distances play an important role in the B2B sector. In the private sector, questions concerning the dispatch and receipt of goods with regard to flexibility (e.g. required presence) are important. Unsuccessful delivery attempts often lead to a second unsuccessful delivery attempt and then to consignation. This leads to unproductive additional traffic expenditure with corresponding environmental pollution. Especially in (sub)urban areas there is a high proportion of permanent and actively mobile people. The Wiener Linien alone carries approx. 2,5 million passengers daily. Approx. 40% of all distances in Vienna are covered by public transport, approx. 33% entirely on foot or by bicycle. These figures illustrate the great potential for the transport of small goods using everyday, sustainable and active forms of mobility.

The aim of the GoodOnFoot project was to analyse whether and under what conditions the existing active and sustainable mobility could be merged with the need for the transport of small goods. An implementation scenario can be outlined as follows: People who could take goods with them on everyday routes register in the system and can be located on selected routes or determine the planned route using a route planner. If a person now wants to send goods, he or she specifies the desired pick-up and destination points and suitable time windows in the system. The system automatically locates the nearest person on whose route the desired pick-up and delivery point are located and establishes the link between the two persons. In addition to B2B “courier services”, this system is particularly suitable for the last mile. The result of GoodOnFoot is a clear statement as to whether a small goods transport system can be implemented using already existing active and sustainable mobility in urban and suburban areas.

Contact: DI Dr. Bernhard Rüger