The issue of mobility is by no means new for GIM. It has been offering its customers clear insights on traffic flows, accessibility and multi-modal transport for years. "Consequently, it was only logical for us to subject our own mobility to a critical analysis as well," says Babs Dumont, HR Manager. "Our staff are keen on an environmentally-friendly policy. When we reformulated our company values last year, they explicitly raised respect for our planet."

Fewer miles driven 

At the start of this exercise, GIM carried out an analysis of its CO2emissions. This showed that 73% of the emissions originated from the vehicle fleet. "Based on this analysis, we decided to fight a battle on two fronts: making our vehicle fleet greener and reducing the number of miles driven. It was a great boost for us that the authorities gave the green light for the introduction of a mobility budget on 1 March of this year. We got started with this straight away, fitting each piece of the puzzle together."

image : a geo-analysis of the commuter traffic was the starting point for the new mobility budget

Thanks to the mobility budget, employees can combine an economical company car with alternative mobility solutions, such as a train subscription, an electric bike or an electric scooter. “When the current leasing contract finishes, the member of staff can swap his or her car for a more economical model, which might also be smaller. The remaining budget can be devoted to other mobility solutions. If you choose a smaller car, you can rent a more spacious one for your annual holidays. If you move to live closer to work, you can even claim a portion of your rent or mortgage.”

Sustainable mobility for everyone

But GIM's plan goes even further: those members of staff who do not use a company car can also choose from a package of options to make their professional travel more sustainable: a bike (perhaps electric), a scooter, a public transport subscription and a whole host of other possibilities. "Our office in Leuven is easily accessible by bike and public transport, which obviously helps when introducing such a comprehensive plan," says Babs. “We're looking for a location for our branch in Wallonia that's more easily accessible by public transport.”

Leased bikes displacing parking spaces

Aside from the mobility budget, every member of staff at GIM can lease a bike on favourable terms. This limits the miles driven along with less of the budget going towards renting expensive parking spaces - another sore point in the current mobility policy. 

photo: Babs Dumont, HR Manager: "We've put a lot of thought into a logical combination of measures that all contribute towards our ultimate goal: reduce our ecological footprint in a smart and efficient way. This way, we can encourage staff to limit their travel through facilities such as remote working and the introduction of teleconferencing technology. As a result, we spend less time in the car and avoid traffic jams. After all, this plan is also beneficial for the productivity AND fitness of our people. Higher efficiency and the fact that employees are exercising more, and are therefore fitter, is of course just a bonus,"  

Expertise from Agoria

Agoria, the federation of Belgian technology companies, assisted GIM with fiscal and socio-legal expertise to correctly implement the new mobility budget.