International Car-Free Day

On September 22nd, it is internationally Car Free Day. Initially started in 1973 due to the Oilcrisis, new light was shed on this event in 1994, in Toledo, Spain, during a speech by Eric Britton. Now globally, there are initiatives by countries or cities to give attention to the use of other transportation than cars.

Cool cars

Cars are cool. Cars have undoubtedly changed our lives. With the primary use came a complete array of diversifications. A car is not a vehicle that brings, on average, four people from A to B with an average speed of 70 km/h. No, it has grown into an industry with many different types, models, and uses. Cars are, for many people, an extension of their being. This brought even more industries to life; Carwash, Tuning companies, Car customization, Car events, etc. So, Cars = culture, Cars = tribes, Cars = freedom. So know when you are organizing car-free days, you are touching on a delicate subject for many.

Reworc and cars

Back to now. Back to Reworc. At Reworc we have chosen our office location with public transport in mind. From an ESG (environmental, social, and governance) perspective, we decided to be in the city center of Rotterdam, seconds away from Bus, Metro, Tram, and Central station. We aimed to create the possibility of working close to our office. There is a large pool of talent in a big city, and 60% of our workforce lives in Rotterdam and 80% in and around Rotterdam. Even a bike or walk to the office is truly a delight in a mild climate. So due to our office location, 80% of our people can walk or cycle to work. Pre-pandemic, most people came in 3 to 4 days to the office.

2022 and beyond

Two things have even more drastically reduced our car usage; The increase in acceptance of online meetings, and the development of our platform, becoming more and more a SAAS with its training academy. Our appetite for physical sessions has diminished because many online meetings, without the travel, win when it comes to productivity. Being there in person is still the preference for some other conferences, training sessions, or events. This is mainly when it comes to new collaborations, complex knowledge, or large groups (like events).

The company cars have driven a lot less in the last two years. Flights have also decreased because of the declining necessity and because flying has become more bothersome (airports, codes, prices). So looking at the ‘car-free initiative’ and its goal, I think we can state that Reworc has dramatically reduced the use of cars and planes. The big question is, will this stay now that we have put the pandemic behind us? We think so. Our team works more from home and desires to do so. We chose to have more meetings online and still think it works as before. Cars (and planes) still play an essential role in the mobility mix but have taken a more minor part than before. So for Reworc, there could be a car-free day every week!