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What is Share Port?
Share Port is an autonomous car sharing service specifically designed for travel to and from the airport. Autonomous vehicles arrive directly at the user's location to transport them seamlessly to or from the airport. In addition, a coordinated cooperation between the car and the luggage processing system eliminates the struggle of handling the luggage at the airport.
Current System
Train
Train is currently one of the most popular options to travel to and from the airport. The train allows people to step out basically in the airport. The train is a sustainable mobility option. Depending on the traveller needs it can be a convenient option but most of the time this is not the case, it is mostly necessary to transfer trains during your journey which is not ideal especially with luggage. Another point is that it can be quite crowded, and it is not ideal to travel with a lot of luggage which makes it also not a convenient option for the traveller.
Also because of the often delays it is not a reliable option. A delay to the airport can cause a lot of trouble and stress to the traveller.
Sustainable
Affordable
Car
The second most popular mobility option is personal cars. This is a very convenient option for the traveller. It allows user to be able to have freedom in terms of time and it is easy to carry your baggage’s.
Even though it has these advantages. It is not a sustainable option since most of the cars are still works with gas. This option is also not ideal because of the financial reasons. Parking costs at the airport are quite expensive and the car might have to stay there for a while which means it is not affordable for some people.
Reliable
Convenient
Taxi
Like the usage of car, taxis offer a convenient and reliable ride to and from the airport. But on the other hand, even though the traveller doesn't have to pay for the parking, the taxis are still quite expensive, this is why this option is not always the first for the travellers.
Reliable
Convenient
Shared Cars
Shared cars can be an affordable, convenient, reliable, and sustainable option for mobility to and from the airport. But because it is still quite a new concept it is not available in the whole country. Currently it is only possible to use the shared cars to go to Amsterdam from the airport and not the other parts of the country.
Convenient
Sustainable
Problem points in the current system
Current systems problems can be divided into four different categories, being Expensive, Unsustainable, Unreliable, and Inconvenient. These categories were inferred from the research and analysis of the current system.
Train
Delays of the train rides can have a big influence on reliability. The total delays that accurred in the year of 2023 is 5321, and 5811 delays are expected in the year 2024. (Statistieken, 2024) These delays often result in overcrowded trains.
Rush hours of the trains during weekdays are at 6:30- 9:00 and 16:00 - 18:30. The trains are expected to be crowded within these hours.
Car
Even though the journey to the airport might not cost much money, parking at the airport is considerably expensive. Parking for a day cost around 54 euros (Schiphol Parkeerkosten Zonder Reservering, 2024).
Only 8.2 percent of cars in the Netherlands are electric (cycles & Text, 2024). Therefore, the journey itself is also most of the time not a sustainable one.
Taxi
Taxis are in general not the most affordable options. A taxi from the airport to Amsterdam costs around 50 euros, whereas a train ride costst only around 4,90 (Amsterdam Airport Taxis, 2024).
Personas
Works on the airport during waiting times, wants to use time as efficiently as possible. Luggage check in and the travel to the airport takes a lot of time in which he could have worked.
Business Man
"I always have a busy schedule, so every minute I can work counts."
Preoccupied with arranging everything while at the same time managing the kids and keeping them happy. Wants to have less problems to worry about while travelling to the airport.
Mother
"Handling the kids already requires so much attention, my journey to the airport shouldn't add even more things to worry about"
Doesn’t speak the local language. Wants to obtain all information in their own language and from one source to avoid confusion. Wants to be able to get to their next destination independently, with the freedom of choosing when to go and without having to swap modalities during their journey, thus minimising the chance for confusion to arise.
Tourist
"I want to be able to plan my journey from the airport in one go, without having to use several services at once."
Positioning
The interviews and the analysis of the current system made us realise that there is a need for another option to commute to the airport, in order to better fulfill the adress the needs of the travellers.
We concluded that there is a gap in the current system.The offered options are either sustainable and affordable but not convenient and reliable or the opposite. For this reason, our mission was to fill this gap by leveraging technologies to fulfill the users' fundamental needs.
Sustainable & Affordable
Convenient & Reliable
Our mission
"Empowering seamless travel experiences, our mission is to redefine the way people commute to and from the airport through an autonomous shared vehicle system, making the first and last mile journey convenient, reliable and efficient for all."
Customer Journey
Impact of Share Port
Traveling, whether for business or pleasure, should be a seamless and stress-free experience. However, the hassle of transportation to and from the airport often becomes a significant source of anxiety and inconvenience for travellers. Share Port emerges as a transformative solution, reshaping the way we perceive airport travel while leaving a profound impact on both individual users and society at large.
At its core, Share Port is more than just a car sharing service; it represents a paradigm shift towards autonomy and efficiency. Picture this: autonomous vehicles, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, drive effortlessly to your doorstep precisely when you need them. No more waiting in long queues for taxis or struggling to find parking amidst the chaos of airport terminals. Share Port brings convenience to the forefront, offering a seamless journey from the comfort of your own home to the departure gate.
Yet, the true innovation of Share Port lies in its holistic approach to travel. By coordinating the silo's of the luggage system and the transport modality to the airport in an integrated manner, Share Port eliminates discrepancies between these subsystems. Through this cooperation between the vehicle and the airport's luggage processing system, the emerging outcome is that previous inconveniences and insecurities can be eliminated.
By significantly improving the convenience with Share Port's sustainable electric cars, we stimulate the traveller to use the sustainable option. Also, by choosing the carpooling option the price is made lower which stimulates the user to choose the sustainable option and achieve affordability.
How it works
When the ordered car has arrived at the user's location, they can load their luggage into the car. During the loading, weight is measured by a scale that is integrated into the luggage compartment. When the suitcase weights comply with the regulations, this is displayed and the luggage labels are printed by an integrated device.
When the user(s) and their luggage are ready, they can choose to drive themselves, or to be driven by the autonomous car, in which case the steering wheel is retracted into the dashboard. They can then use this time to work, sleep, or relax.
Having arrived at the airport, the Share Port vehicle will drive to a dedicated 'Kiss & Ride' area. Here, the passengers are dropped off, free to walk directly to the customs and then to the gate, not further having to bother with the luggage.
The Share Port vehicle will then drive the luggage to a luggage exchange point. This is a dedicated space for the delivery and collection of luggage from Share Port users. After the delivery, the automated airport system, which communicates with the Share Port vehicle, handles the security and the placement of the luggage into the right plane.
Ride from the airport
When intsead of travelling to the airport, users have to travel from the airport to their desired destination, they can also order the ride in advance, or last minute. When the service is ordered in advance, the user's lugagge ID can be linked to the system, allowing for it to be retrieved from the luggage system and transported to the Kiss & Ride area by the car. However, in the case of a last minute order, this is impossible. In this case, the user can still make use of the vehicle, but without the luggage collection service.
App
The other option of booking a ride is by planning it in advance. This is the most reliable option for the users because this gives certainty about time and availability for a shared vehicle. It is a very easy interface where you put in all the information needed to prepare for your trip. And after this you can book a ride, and have a car reserved for the time and date that you set.
On the check in screen, it is possible for the user to check in with their boarding passes. There are two different ways of scanning you're boarding pass. The first option is scanning a physical boarding pass with your camera. The second option is uploading you're boarding pass out of your documents. By checking in with the app all your flight information is uploaded and when the car arrives it can print your luggage tag. This way you can just load in your luggage, enjoy your ride and get out of the car at the kiss and ride. The car will handle your luggage for you.
With the carpooling option in the application and we give an option of traveling more sustainable. It gives the possibility to travel together with other users and hereby you don't loose unused space. The carpool system will have a certain safety build in that if you're to late at you're ride it will leave. This is so the other users don't miss their flight by waiting too long for the other person. This option also makes the ride more affordable.
Last minute booking
Booking in advance
Check-in
Carpooling option
In this screen the user can look for cars near their location. With the button on the bottom the user can find the nearest car and quickly book it. This is a feature that is mostly relevant for people that don't schedule their travels in advance. This gives the ability to book a car last moment and be on your way quickly.
Technologies
Share port uses various technologies to make sure that the journey is as safe, comfortable and efficient as it can be. These technologies are the following:
References
Amsterdam Airport Taxis | Compare All Taxi Options and Prices. (2024). Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport (AMS). https://amsterdam-schiphol-airport.com/transportation/airport-taxi/#:~:text=How%20much%20is%20a%20taxi
cycles,T. text provides general information S. assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct D. to varying update, & Text, S. C. D. M. up-to-Date D. T. R. in the. (2024, January 10). Topic: Electric vehicles industry in the Netherlands. Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/3434/electric-vehicle-industry-in-the-netherlands/#topicOverview
Lovati, S. (2023, June 28). V2X Communication: Benefits and Limits. EE Times Europe. https://www.eetimes.eu/v2x-communication-benefits-and-limits/#:~:text=V2X%20can%20reduce%20traffic%20congestionSchiphol
Parkeerkosten zonder reservering. (2024). Www.schiphol.nl. https://www.schiphol.nl/nl/parkeren/parkeren-zonder-reservering/Statistieken.
(2024). Www.rijdendetreinen.nl. https://www.rijdendetreinen.nl/statistiekenSynopsys.
(2022). The 6 Levels of Vehicle Autonomy Explained | Synopsys Automotive. Synopsys.com. https://www.synopsys.com/automotive/autonomous-driving-levels.html