Both corporate travel managers and business travelers in Europe have a shared responsibility as well as opportunities to mitigate risk by making smart choices when it comes to ground transportation for business trips. That’s according to a new report, titled “Maximising Duty of Care: Choosing the Safest ‘Last Mile’ Option for Business Travel” from FreeNow and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). Findings from the report are based on responses from surveys of 425 business travelers and 76 corporate travel managers in four European markets: Germany, United Kingdom, Spain and Ireland.
Whilst a large majority of travel programs have risk management protocols for business travel in place, these often overlook ground transport risks specifically, according to data from the report. For instance, a large majority of travel programs (85 percent) have risk-related policies for business travel, but only about half (55 percent) “always” or “often” address ground transport in these policies. In addition, most travel programs (62 percent) conduct regular safety trainings for employees about business travel, but only about half (56 percent) “always” or “often” include ground transport risks in this training. Most travel programs (89 percent) have a traveler tracking system in place, however only one-quarter (24 percent) can “always” or “often” locate employees using ground transport data.
“The research reflects that travel programs can do more to improve how they manage risk when it comes to ground transportation for their employees. Corporate travel managers should partner with trusted ground transportation companies known for their exemplary safety records. Additionally, educating employees on the realities of ground transportation safety is crucial, helping them make informed decisions when navigating their travel options,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA.
The research also indicates that taxis are often perceived as the safest form of third-party ground transport, with 50 percent of travel managers considering taxis among the top safest options, compared to 43 percent for rental cars and 26 percent for public transit. The importance of vehicle safety checks (93 percent), partnering with reputable brands (93 percent), and requiring drivers to have professional taxi or Black Cab licenses (91 percent) were all identified as essential to ensuring safety.
Daniel Barthuly, head of business travel, FreeNow, said: “Companies must protect their employees by promoting safe ground transport and integrating it into Travel Risk Management (TRM). Around 70 percent of corporate travel managers rank safety records as a top factor in choosing transport vendors.” Barthuly added that FreeNow for Business supports this by allowing companies to access management software that gives a total overview of employee rides. In addition, riders can share their live location in real-time tracking with friends or family, and all FreeNow taxi drivers are verified and meet local regulations, ensuring reliable, compliant ground transportation.
Companies commonly have a formal relationship, contract, or business account with a ground transport vendor. This could be a taxi company/technology platform, a rental car company or a chauffeured car company, among others. Across the countries surveyed, at least three in five business travelers say their company has such relationships. This allows companies to receive dedicated account support, apply travel policies and streamline processes such as payment and expense reporting. In addition, companies can choose to work with vendors who have a demonstrated safety record as well as mandate or encourage employees to book with these vendors. According to survey results, at least nine out of 10 business travelers believe that such relationships could significantly increase operational efficiency as well.
On November 20, 2-3 p.m. CET, GBTA and FreeNow will host a complimentary webinar featuring Barthuly and Mark Sharoff, senior research manager, GBTA. Ideal for travel buyers and industry suppliers, the webinar will expand on the research findings and explore the changing landscape of ground transport safety, the role of sustainability in the mobility ecosystem, and how business travelers and travel managers perceive transportation options. Register here.
GBTA members can access the full report on the GBTA Hub.
Source: GBTA
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