Dreaming of a way to deploy technology to let children cycle to school safely, BAM Belgium and AE recently joined forces. The result of this interesting collaboration? Read all about Allride, an innovative platform that allows youngsters to map their route to school by means of a smart bicycle lamp and/or an app.
Gamification
Allride not only remembers the routes children take to get to school, but also asks their opinion. Do they feel safe on the road or do they find the route rather dangerous? The app can propose alternative, safer routes if needed. But getting children to provide systematic feedback is, of course, no easy feat. That’s why BAM Belgium and AE made smart use of gamification. Users who cycle to school via a safe route and give feedback about that route afterwards collect points that give them a chance at winning a fun sports accessory.
A traffic platform for everyone
BAM and AE have consciously designed Allride as a platform, and not as a traditional value chain.
It’s not only school children who benefit from the advantages Allride brings to the table (such as safer and smoother traffic that has a smaller ecological footprint). Naturally, their parents are also interested in seeing how their children can cycle to school in the safest way possible. In addition, cities and municipalities can use the data collected in the platform to detect critical points in their mobility network and adjust their infrastructure accordingly. In addition, the gamification aspect makes Allride an interesting tool for partners looking to promote their products, such as sports brands.
In short: it’s a simple idea, linked to a complex ecosystem, that creates social and economic added value for various players as a fully-fledged platform.
Allride: safe and sustainable traffic as a service
Next up to try out Allride are the members of Antwerp sports clubs. In collaboration with Sporting A, BAM and AE want to encourage them to opt for a sporty, sustainable means of transport on their way to and from the sports club. To do so, the app relies on the same gamification principles as the original app for cyclists. BAM and AE, after all, want to motivate not only children who go to school, but other target groups as well to make safer and more sustainable mobility choices in terms. The next step will be turning Allride into a fully-fledged software-as-a-serviceplatform.
The financial sector, too, can reap the benefits of a platform such as Allride. Financial players these days are continuously looking for ways to diversify their services, and mobility is high on their agenda. Especially now that more and more people are heading to work by (electric) bicycle, Allride can be a valuable tool for, for example, insurers in the fight against the increasing number of work-related accidents in commuter traffic.
