The Covid-19 global pandemic highlights the importance of good travel data when it comes to risk management. Airline & accommodation data is typically available through the online booking engines providing critical information such as flight numbers and hotel locations. Data for ground transportation is much more limited, if it exists at all, as many business travellers make their own arrangements independently.
Historically, travel policy has often omitted ground transportation, but as organisations prepare to resume business travel in 2021, its inclusion is now more important than ever. How are your employees getting to the airport or business meeting? Has your organisation defined acceptable modes of transport or specified suppliers?
A recent survey by Free-Now in conjunction with the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) reports that 50% of European Travel Managers, have changed their policy on ground transportation as a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic, with over 50% reporting they will be less likely to allow or encourage the use of public transport.
Understandably both travel managers and business travellers view safety as of the highest priority (60%). For business travellers convenience rates next (54%) with cost-saving further down the list (25%), whilst travel managers rate traveller satisfaction and cost-saving equally (38%).
The survey also found that 88% of travel managers are interested in using preferred ground transportation suppliers which have been vetted to ensure they meet safety & sanitation standards, and 79% are interested in tracking data about ground transportation rides (such as destinations & driver names to aid in contact tracing). For UK business travellers the rates are slightly lower, though similar at 77% and 62% respectively.
You can read the full survey report here: https://free-now.com/uk/business/blog/white-paper-ground-transportation-in-europe-adapting-travel-policies-in-a-changing-landscape/
Our Recommendation
Selecting a preferred supplier(s) for ground transportation helps satisfy the organisational duty of care to protect its employees. The procurement process enables you to vet and verify vendor safety protocols, not just in terms of pandemic response, but to also consider the broader concerns of passenger safety, such as licensing and insurance.
Formalising arrangements with suppliers will also provide you with clear data about your employee travel, which whilst essential during the pandemic, will help your organisation plan future travel with more clarity.
Additional Benefits
Beyond risk management, selecting a preferred supplier for ground transportation can provide further benefits too, satisfying the priorities for both travel managers and business travellers alike.
- Save money
- Streamline processes
- Set the foundations of relationships with good communication building trust.
- Convenience and reliability for business travellers
JRA Chauffeur Drive
We are specialist providers of ground transportation to the business community, tailoring our services to your specific requirements improving productivity across your organisation. We understand the varying priorities of the different stakeholders; comfort & convenience for travellers; ease of booking for administrative staff; health & safety requirements for HR teams; and cost requirements for financial teams;
Get in touch and let us help you integrate ground transportation into your corporate travel policy.
