Gamification Stuff we Love: Van 5 Naar 4 – Dutch mobility game to reduce traffic congestions and motivate smarter working
When you have lived in the Benelux, you know that at certain times of day you are effectively joining a giant car park with slow moving cars, also known as the motorway. Peak time traffic is a source for stress svn before an employee arrives in work. In the Netherlands a mobility game called Van 5 naar 4 has been developed to encourage smarter travelling and smarter working practices.
The clear goal of the project is to improve travel/work time for all employees in a fun and educational way, whilst at the same time aiming to achieve a 20% reduction in cars during rush hour traffic.
The rule is simple out of every 5 days you travel 1 not by car, your options are work from home, carpooling, bus, train, bicycle, walking. Companies are invited to take part as part of their corporate social responsibility program with the added bonus of having happier employees that are getting less stressed on their way into work. In addition the game gives interesting benchmark data on employee mobility.
The game is set up to encourage positive behavioural change. When a company opts in they receive a company dashboard, which allows them to track their progress broken down by individual, team, company etc. The dashboard can be tailored to the company branding and reports on rush hour co2 savings are easy to access. Companies can choose to set prizes. Mobi, the personal coach in the shape of a friendly looking green alien, assists in encouraging to meet targets. Mobi gives travel advice tailored to the individual, their region and country and encourages individuals to behave with sustainability in mind.
To take part in the game an employee enters their personal profile details, which includes travel options and distances from starting postcode to destination postcode. The employee gains points by using alternative modes of transport, each choice of mode of transport is assigned different points, employees are ranked against other employees in the team and will go up in levels as they implement more peak time traffic avoiding strategies. In a personal dashboard employees can see how they are doing and the organisation can immediately track how they are doing in a similar dashboard.
From a gamification perspective this project taps in to encouraging positive behaviour change, it reward with points, it includes a mentor, a leaderboard, fun badges and levels to achieve as well as the larger epic meaning of joining in a achieving a more sustainable country.
Would you consider implementing this in your company?
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