Seven companies, one territory, a shared mobility strategy
VAIC Mobility drafts the company commuting plans (CTP) for the workplaces of REPSOL, BASF, COVESTRO, ERCROS, LYONDELLBASELL, CLARIANT, and DOW, all of which are members of the Chemical Business Association of Tarragona (AEQT), in response to the obligations established by the air quality decree.
The distinguishing feature of this project is its coordinated approach: the plans have not been developed in isolation for each company, but rather jointly and in an articulated manner, with the aim of identifying and leveraging synergies derived from territorial proximity, the similarity of productive activity among participating companies, and their associated work through the AEQT.
A transforming scenario for improvement
The area around Tarragona’s chemical industrial park is undergoing significant change regarding its mobility conditions. The reform of the N-340 road and the creation of the Tarragona tramway will open up new opportunities in the coming years to substantially improve public transport and active mobility connections between companies and nearby residential areas. The commuting plans incorporate this future opportunity and foresee actions for a prior and a subsequent phase, so that companies can take advantage of it.
Strategies to reduce private vehicle use
The analysis of workers’ mobility patterns reveals a high use of private vehicles, but also a real potential for attracting them to other modes:
- Bicycle: The proximity of residential areas and the cycling culture already present at the plants (where staff habitually travel by bicycle within the industrial complex) represent a differentiating asset and a favorable starting point for encouraging the use of bicycles for commuting to work.
- Car sharing: Strategies are identified to promote shared vehicles among workers with nearby origins, taking advantage of the coincidence of schedules between companies in the sector.
- Company bus: Coordination between companies opens the door to optimizing and sharing collective transport services, reducing costs and increasing the efficiency of existing routes.
