Without a car but with free transport:the unexpected success of a Swiss experiment

In Switzerland 25% of participants in an experiment he sold his car after finishing it.The experiment involved 100 people selected throughout the Canton of Bern, who had to leave the keys to their car for a month, receiving in exchange a free and unlimited bus and train pass, an electric bike and access to the car sharing.The objective of the pilot test was to encourage the population to opt for gentle mobility:an aim achieved with surprising results, since over a quarter of the families who participated sold their cars.In detail, 12 families have completely given up on four wheels, while 6 have decided to do without one of the two cars they used before the experiment.

The start-up ÖV42 di started the experiment 42hacks, a Swiss-registered non-profit cooperative of climate hackers and entrepreneurs that “aims to bridge the gap between climate promises and protests.”Switzerland has a very modern public transport network but, despite this, people still tend to prefer the car over other means of transport.The result is that approx 40% of CO2 emissions come from transport, especially motorized ones, such as private cars.In order to understand how to implement the use of public transport, therefore, the start-up analysed, thanks to artificial intelligence, historical and real-time data on mobility, in particular by comparing transport times between public and private transport and peak traffic times.

Once the data is obtained, the project participants, named 31 Days Challenge, they received constant information about the expense they would have incurred in traveling with their own car compared to the cost of means of transport, and they were given the opportunity to sell their car.The result was surprising:if 90% of participants reported their intention to use their private vehicle less, a full quarter he actually decided to give up your car permanently, selling it during the experiment or in any case within the following month, choosing to purchase an annual pass for trains or an e-bike.

The initiative was "fun and motivating" for all participants, reports Jane P.Schmidt, co-founder of 42hacks.«They told us they spent more quality time with their families, rediscovering the city, cycling rather than driving through it.People have even told us how they have lost weight."

«Think if every driver in our society had the opportunity not to use the car for a month.What would this mean for our traffic?For our health, for the health of our children, of our environment?There are 4.7 million cars in Switzerland:if only 5% of these motorists participated in our challenge in the next five years and 25% of them gave up their cars, it would mean being able to remove 62,500 cars from traffic and consequently obtain a multitude of benefits."

[by Valeria Casolaro]