Inclusive Shared Mobility
Besides an interesting way of thinking, a must in 2018
In 2018, the question is no longer whether we want the current diversity in our society, but rather about how we will deal with it. Also in the area of sustainable and shared mobility, it is a challenge to reach a diverse group of people with our current services and projects. In order to change this, we ask ourselves: what we can adjust in our services and projects to get even more inclusive?
Why ‘us’ versus ‘them’ is no longer relevant
In the debate about diversity, where distrust and fear often set the tone, a lot of people seem to fall back on binary thinking patterns about ‘I’ and ‘the other’. Often unconscious, but with a strong influence on daily practices of inequality. Who is the other person (whom we hardly reach)? Who are ‘we’ and who are ‘they’? There is no clear answer to this question. Our society can no longer be viewed in binary thinking patterns. Each individual is situated at another crossroads of many partial identities (gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, etc.). This is also an important insight for organizations that are not involved with diversity at first sight.
In the skin of ‘the other’
On November 15, we held, together with Autodelen.net, a workshop about inclusion. We focused on privileges, power mechanisms and inequalities by getting into the skin of ‘the other’ during a privilege walk (an exercise that focuses on factors that can make people (extra) vulnerable). Through this exercise, you can feel first hand which power mechanisms are at play in our society. In addition, biases, which we (unconsciously) have about ‘the other’, also emerge.
Furthermore, Carolina from Ella vzw shared the results of Mobiella, the research in Nieuw Gent on transport poverty. For example, it appears that the supply of car sharing systems is totally unknown within residents and that there are quite a few thresholds to use public transport. This research also makes it clear that cycling is not self-evident for everyone.
‘I have a bike and I cannot drive. Do you know about the cycling lessons that you can follow at the community health center? Yes, but I work during the week I cannot go, it had to be on the weekend. (Mobiella) ‘
Based on these insights, we reflected upon our own organization. We thought about our own work processes, work environment and our vision for the future.
What is inclusion for Mpact?
This instructive afternoon gave us insight into how we can reach people through a bottom-up process. We cannot answer for ‘the other’ which needs they do (or do not) have in terms of mobility. This participative work is best done in collaboration with existing local mobility- and neighbourhood organizations that have already built a relationship with local residents.
In other words, there are no readily available answers about how we can create equal opportunities for everyone with our projects. But it’s clear that the motivation to work more inclusive needs to be borne by the entire team of our organization.
‘Thanks to the European Inclusion project, we can now also test the new Mobitwin app to make the services of the MMC’s even more accessible and user-friendly in the future.’
Inclusive services and projects
Inclusion is essential to Mpact. For years, we have been committed to the less mobile people in our society through the Minder Mobielen Centrales (MMC). Thanks to the European Inclusion project, we can now also test the new Mobitwin app to make the services of the MMC’s even more accessible and user-friendly in the future.
Taxsistop does not only want to promote shared mobility and focus on its sustainable nature. As an organization, we also want to facilitate various transport modes for everyone and thus strengthen social cohesion in society.
