Overview
Luggage is one of the main reasons for people to choose their car instead of public transport. In order to support more sustainable and active forms of mobility, it is necessary to develop ground-breaking logistic systems not only for the travellers themselves, either regarding their daily routine or journeys, but also for their luggage. Therefore, the trunk compartment in a car needs to be fully substituted in public means of transport (regarding flexibility, comfort, capacity etc.).
In order to fulfil these requirements public transport not only for travellers but for their luggage hast to be installed. Due to the complexity of efficient and customer-oriented independent 'public luggage transport' and as a first step, an exploratory project considering all reasonable, possible and thinkable options will be launched. With the data assembled there will be a secondary project with the purpose of developing goal-oriented and efficient system. Luggage features the highest value regarding traffic flexibility. This fact is one of the main reasons for people to choose their car instead of public transport, either regarding their daily routine or journeys. Conversely taking along luggage in more sustainable forms of Transport causes difficulties and makes those alternatives more unattractive to potential customers.
It is nearly impossible for people who are limited in their mobility to take along luggage. This is why most of them refuse to use public transport both on journeys as well as in their daily routine, which causes immobility. The elderly are especially affected. Considering that after thirty years about 40 percent of the population will be older than sixty, it has to be a goal to force and support active and sustainable forms of public transport, meeting all customer requirements and especially those regarding luggage transport. Not until the trunk compartment of a car is fully substituted in means of public transport, the more sustainable form of mobility will be used in the desired frequency.
Due to the complexity of an intermodal 'public luggage transport system' which ideally works simultaneously to passenger transport, as a first step an exploratory project will be launched. The project aims to survey all customer requirements as well as technical and logistical challenges and as a consequence generate a list of requirements for prospective research and development projects. In order to minimise the development risks, it is necessary to survey and define all requirements previously and evaluate various concepts regarding their acceptability, economy and practicability. Therefore, extensive customer surveys (on trains, at airports, on shopping streets and online) will be conducted. Furthermore, interviews with experts and workshops will be arranged. 'Gepäcklos' aims to previously identify all requirements and as a consequence specify efficient arrangements