Moventis takes part in an event to present on-demand transport service in Calonge

The Chamber of Commerce of Palamós and Calonge i Sant Antoni Local Council organised an information day entitled “On-demand transport: the Shotl service, your bus closer to you and only a click away” at Calonge Castle this morning. The goal was to raise the profile of this kind of flexible transport services in which the vehicles adapt their route in real time to meet demand. This is a service offered by Moventis that has already been successfully implemented in other municipalities around Catalonia, such as Sant Cugat.

The event discussed the need for this Shotl service in municipalities such as Calonge and Sant Antoni, as well as other towns on the Costa Brava with numerous geographically disperse urbanisations and areas with no conventional public transport services, in order to facilitate mobility for their residents.

The event was attended by Pol Fages, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Palamós; Miquel Martí Pierre, Managing Director of Moventis; Roger Cumeras from Shotl; Pere Aguilar, Head of the Public Transport Department of Sant Cugat del Vallès Local Council, the first municipality where Shotl was launched; David Saldoni, the Director-General of Transport and Mobility of the Regional Government of Catalonia; and Albert Ros, Mobility Councillor for Calonge i Sant Antoni.

The main advantage of the Shotl service lies in that it enables public transport to reach areas with very little demand at present while also representing an economic saving and generating less pollution given that the bus only operates when there is a demand for the service. This avoids bus journeys with no passengers, reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The advantages also include the ease with which users can request a pick-up by the bus – using an app or the telephone – and reduced waiting times.

The second part of the event consisted of a Shotl demonstration on the streets of Calonge and Sant Antoni: how a pick-up is requested, how the service is confirmed, how the driver is told about the shortest route and how the user can see on the app where the bus currently is and their current waiting time.

Moventia maintains its support for society

Moventia has agreed to maintain its partnerships with all the social entities it has been providing resources to for many years. This decision has been taken based on the effort and commitment that, now more than ever, our society needs from companies within the business fabric to help deal with the complicated situations we are experiencing as a result of the crisis caused by COVID-19.

Over the course of recent years, Moventia’s solidarity partnerships have been focused on a commitment to guaranteeing mobility to the public and people with difficulty in accessing these services. However, the coronavirus crisis has led Moventia to make the funds provided under these partnerships available so they can be allocated wherever needed and deemed most appropriate in order to alleviate and improve the tough situations being caused by COVID-19. These are difficult times for everyone, including Moventia, but the company wishes to maintain its commitment to working with society.

Visit by the Director-General for Transport and Mobility of the Regional Government of Catalonia

The offices of Moventia HQ were visited this morning by a delegation from the Department of Regional Affairs and Sustainability of the Regional Government of Catalonia. The Director-General for Transport and Mobility, David Saldoni, was accompanied by the Deputy Director-General for Transport Planning and Sectoral Development, Josep Maria Fortuny, and the Deputy Director-General for Public Transport, Benjamín Cubillo.

The visitors received a tour of the new Moventia offices and its control centre, and were shown the new work culture implemented by Moventia since the end of last year when it relocated to the new corporate HQ in Sant Cugat.

The visit was initially planned for March this year but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 health crisis and could not be rearranged until July. On behalf of Moventia, the visitors were welcomed by: Josep Maria Martí, Executive Vice-President of Moventis and CEO of Moventia; Sílvia Martí, Corporate Vice-President of Moventia; Miquel Martí Pierre, Managing Director of the Discretionary Transport Division; Joan Giménez, Managing Director of the Regular Transport Division; and Jordi Castells, Operations Director of Moventis.

Comprehensive answers were provided during the visit to all the questions and concerns expressed by both the regional government representatives and Moventia regarding the current situation in the transport and mobility sector.

A lo largo de la visita, se ha podido dar respuesta exhaustiva a todas las consultas e inquietudes mostradas tanto por parte de los representantes de la Generalitat como por parte de Moventia en relación a la situación actual del sector del transporte y la movilidad

Bla Bla Bus renews contract with Sarfa

Following several months of negotiation, Sarfa has signed a partnership agreement with the company BlaBlabus – the operator of several intercity lines in France – to operate the routes starting or finishing in the city of Barcelona. The specific lines subject to this agreement are:

 

Marseille – Montpellier – Barcelona

Marseille – Nîmes – Montpellier – Perpignan – Barcelona

Bordeaux – Toulouse – Perpignan – Barcelona

Lyon – Montpellier – Perpignan – Barcelona

Paris – Lyon – Barcelona

Barcelona – Perpignan – Carcassonne – Toulouse – Paris

 

The agreement will last four years, during which time Sarfa must provide the service according to the image and quality standards and measures defined by BlaBlaBus. The buses are fully identified with the service image and the drivers are especially chosen for their quality and skill, as well as because they can speak to passengers in French, Spanish and Catalan.

 

This agreement consolidates Sarfa’s presence in France, with services it has been providing non-stop since 2014.

 

16 New VILLAVESA Buses

At an event held this morning at the Pamplona City Transport bus depot, the Association of Municipalities of the Region of Pamplona presented the 16 new hybrid buses that will join the company’s bus fleet from today. The event was attended by the Councillor for Territorial Cohesion of the Regional Government of Navarre, Bernardo Ciriza, the President of the Association of Municipalities of the Region of Pamplona, David Campión, and the Managing Director of Moventia Group, Josep María Martí.

Of the 16 new vehicles, seven are ‘Lions’s City 18C EfficientHybrid’ articulated MAN vehicles measuring 18 metres in length. They are fitted with hybrid 265 kW motors. Each vehicle can carry a total of 152 passengers (37 seated), plus two wheelchairs.

The other nine vehicles (12 metres in length) are the ‘Lions’s City 12C EfficientHybrid’ model from MAN. They are also fitted with 206 kW hybrid motors. Each of these vehicles can carry a total of 105 passengers (23 seated), plus two wheelchairs.

It should be stressed that all 16 vehicles meet the EURO VI pollution limits set by the European Union. They are all fitted with safety screens and security video cameras, meaning that the entire fleet has this system.

The purchase of these vehicles was awarded in 2019 and they are scheduled to enter service during the first fortnight of July once the vehicle registration process can be completed following a delay due to the coronavirus crisis.

A fleet of 159 vehicles with an average age of 6.75 years

The addition of these 16 new vehicles and the withdrawal from service of the five oldest means that the TUC fleet now consists of 159 vehicles with an average age of 6.75 years. Of all the vehicles in the fleet, 57 are articulated (18 metres), 100 are 12-metre buses and two are 10-metre buses. In anticipation of future needs due to possible capacity restrictions over the coming months as a result of COVID-19, 11 of the buses that should have been replaced by the new vehicles are being kept in temporary reserve and will be withdrawn from service at a later date.

It should be noted that the addition of these new vehicles into the fleet operated by Pamplona City Transport means there are now 56 hybrid vehicles and six electric vehicles running in the region; in other words, 39% of the fleet consists of environmentally efficient vehicles.

Sant Cugat launches ‘Carles’ on-demand transport pilot scheme

This new smart and shared form of transport will adapt itself to the journeys that its passengers need to take

The service, which can be booked using an app developed by the start-up Shotl, seeks to offer a more flexible alternative to improve local mobility

As from Friday, 10 July, the local council and Moventia will launch a pilot scheme to test a new flexible and smart on-demand transport service that will connect passengers and drivers in real time.

Over the course of 21 days, a fleet of four 9-seater vehicles will travel the city adapting their routes to the demand from users who have previously requested the service via the ‘Carles’ app.

The goal for this trial, which will be free for its users, is to study the results from a temporary urban transport service aimed at complementing the municipal public transport service in order to respond to new mobility needs in the city.

The impact on demand from this new service as an alternative to using private vehicles will be measured between 10 and 31 July. The results will then be analysed to assess the possible continuation of the service or another with similar characteristics. 

How it works

To request the new service, users will need to first download the ‘Carles’ app developed by the start-up Shotl and available for iOS and Android. Using this app, people will be able to enter the details of their journey (origin and destination) and book a seat. They will then need to travel to the collection point (start of the journey) and complete their journey in the vehicle.

Based on a series of algorithms, the ‘Carles’ app will distribute and optimise the journeys and routes taken by the vehicles and inform users about seat availability at all times.

Timetables

The pilot scheme will run between 10 and 31 July at the following times:

  • Mondays to Thursdays from 07:00 to 21:00
  • Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 00:00

The service will be provided by experienced drivers in passenger transport and under a strict health and safety protocol. The seats will be disinfected after each journey and the vehicle interiors and air filters will be subject to ozone treatment every day to prevent contagion.

More information about the pilot scheme can be found at: https://prova-pilot.gocarles.com/

 

 

Auser now also doing business in Manresa and Vic

Auser, the official Renault and Dacia dealership of the Movento Group, is expanding its sphere of influence with two new official dealerships and garages in Manresa and Vic after taking over the dealerships for these brands in Bages and Osona. Auser has thus boosted its distribution activity for Renault and Dacia by including a strategic area into its already solid network in the cities of Pineda de Mar, Mataró, Badalona, Cerdanyola, Rubí, Sabadell, Sant Cugat del Vallès and Terrassa.

By opening these facilities, Movento – a benchmark group in private mobility services with 67 years of history – has consolidated its operation in an area where it already operates alongside Sarsa (Audi and Volkswagen), Stern Motor (Mercedes and Smart) and Auto Pla Vic 4×4 (Jaguar and Land Rover).

The combination of experience and professionalism offered by the Auser team, together with Movento’s regional knowledge, will enable a new and exciting project to be launched to provide the best purchase experience and an after-sales service of the highest quality to its customers.

“We are very pleased and excited to be able to now offer our services to customers in this strategic area for us, and we are convinced that we will become the benchmark dealership for the area thanks to our high-quality personalised service”, explains Antoni Sánchez Aguirre, Auser Manager.

Movento awared certificate as “dealership protected against COVID-19″

All Movento centres have been awarded the “Dealership Protected against COVID-19” seal of quality from Faconauto, guaranteeing compliance with the Protection and Prevention Protocol and aimed at highlighting a commitment by official dealerships to employee and customer health.

This seal of quality forms part of a pioneering initiative guaranteed and supported by the certification company TÜV SÜD ATISAE that specialises in the management and validation of certificate issue and subsequent audits to ensure commitments are maintained.

 The Protection and Prevention Protocol forms the basis of this seal of quality and was produced by Faconauto, Anfac and Sernauto, the employers’ association and main business associations in the sector, respectively, together with the two main trade unions in Spain, UGT and CCOO, and subsequently validated by the Spanish Ministry of Health.

The hallmark guarantees the level of safety, confidence and professionalism being offered by Movento to its customers since its premises reopened.

Moventis awarded safety certificates

Moventis now has the main quality certificates applicable to the tourism services and transport sector thanks to action protocols established in response to the risks stemming from COVID-19.

On the one hand, it has obtained APPLUS+ certification on Hygiene and Control Protocols to guarantee compliance with new requirements in terms of cleaning, hygiene, control and organisation of its business.

This certificate, which is issued following external assessment by an independent entity such as APPLUS+, covers issues related to the physical environment and basic hygiene measures, technical measures, organisational measures, workforce control and access control measures at every company forming part of Moventis, both in terms of their regular line business and the discretionary and tourism services they provide.

On the other hand, Moventis has also been given the ICTE Tourism seal of quality by the Institute for Spanish Tourism Quality, which is focused on activity by the companies within the group that provide tourism services and transportation, covering the more than 500 vehicles in the fleet, employees and work centres.

The goal behind efforts to obtain these certificates is none other than to build confidence among customers, employees and users of Moventis mobility services by helping to reduce risks and comply with the strict hygiene and control protocols put in place by the company in response to the extraordinary situation caused by the recent health crisis.

 

 

Fleet of 20 Moventis buses to promote Costa Brava

An event was held at lunchtime today at the Port of Palamós to present the Costa Brava Proximity Tourism Stimulation Campaign promoted by Moventis Sarfa in partnership with the Costa Brava-Girona Tourist Board of Girona Provincial Council and 20 municipalities on the Costa Brava: Cadaqués, Calonge, Castell-Platja d’Aro, Castelló d’Empúries-Empuriabrava, el Port de la Selva, Figueres, Girona, la Bisbal d’Empordà, l’Escala, Llançà, Lloret de Mar, Palafrugell, Palamós, Pals, Roses, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Santa Cristina d’Aro, Torroella de Montgrí-el Estartit and Tossa de Mar.

The event was attended by Miquel Martí y Escursell, Chairman of Moventia; Miquel Noguer, President of Girona Provincial Council and the Costa Brava-Girona Tourist Board; Lluís Puig, Mayor of Palamós; and Damià Calvet, Councillor for Regional Affairs and Sustainability of the Regional Government of Catalonia.

During the presentation, Miquel Noguer said that “this campaign stems from a series of partnerships and synergies between the private and public sectors. It encourages mobility on public transport and highlights the partnerships being forged to attract visitors and promote tourism on the Costa Brava”. He went on to add that the Costa Brava-Girona Tourist Board is making “its strongest effort ever” to promote tourism in proximity markets. He concluded by saying that “we now have an opportunity to focus on our local audience and show them the natural, landscape, cultural and tourist attractions and values they can enjoy close to home”.

Councillor Damià Calvet explained that certain destinations have been compromised by the pandemic this year and that “the campaign being launched today is calling on safe and exciting local tourism to take up the baton. We are all ready to welcome these tourists. Local councils as the destinations, the regional government as mobility guarantor and our ports as providers of sailing and sports tourism. All this will help reactivate Catalonia”.

Miquel Martí said “at Moventis Sarfa, a one-hundred-year-old company with strong roots in this region, we are promoting and strongly welcome this understanding as yet another demonstration of the excellent results that can be obtained from public-private partnerships. In a situation such as this, we should all be pulling in the same direction to offer a service with the highest standards of quality for travellers, as demonstrated by the APPLUS+ seal of quality on Hygiene and Control Protocols and the ICTE Tourism seal of quality. If we all work together, we will also ensure that the number of visitors to the Costa Brava increases this season, synonymous with proximity tourism and quality at home”.

Lluís Puig said “we should congratulate ourselves because, in these difficult times and with the tourist season dependent on an uncertain health situation, we are joining forces to work together on stimulating our coastline, committing to a tourism campaign that focuses on landscapes but also recognises the work undertaken by the sector at large, which is represented by our tourism companies, which constantly strive for excellence, guaranteeing the Costa Brava as a safe destination, with the highest quality of service and all the necessary health requirements in place”.

The event was also attended by mayors and councillors from the 20 local council authorities taking part in the campaign, members of the Girona Provincial Council, senior members of the Regional Government of Catalonia and other representatives from local society and businesses around Girona.

 

A two-pronged promotion and communication campaign
The campaign aims to encourage mobility on public transport for proximity tourism and raise the profile of the Costa Brava brand throughout the region where the passenger transport company has been operating for close on 100 years. At the same time, it is an initiative aimed at creating ties, a sense of belonging and regional unity through participation by the main local council authorities in the area.

It is specifically targeted at inhabitants of the metropolitan area of Barcelona; some three million potential users. Moventis connects the regions of La Selva, El Alt Empordà and El Baix Empordà in Girona with Barcelona and the airports of Barcelona and Girona, as well as numerous towns throughout Girona. In 2019, it carried close on 2.5 million passengers. As from this year, passengers will be able to access a new website that is faster and more efficient for timetable information and to buy tickets. The company has also obtained APPLUS+ certification on Hygiene and Control Protocols and the ICTE Tourism seal of quality.

Under the slogan “T’esperem amb il·lusió. Vine a la Costa Brava (We look forward to seeing you. Come to the Costa Brava)”, a fleet of 20 Moventis buses will travel around Catalonia showing 20 iconic images of the municipalities in Girona taking part in the campaign.

The campaign is accompanied by radio ads that will feature participating local councils in a spot linked to the ‘Via Lliure’ programme on Rac1 during the weekends in July and August. Using interviews with municipal representatives, they will be used to raise the profile of the values and tourist attractions, gastronomy and landscapes to be enjoyed in each town covered by the initiative.

Additional actions will take place on social media to communicate content related to the campaign. The Costa Brava Proximity Tourism Stimulation Campaign promoted by Moventis Sarfa is an unprecedented action stemming from the coronavirus crisis and supported by the public authorities. The initiative clearly demonstrates the strength of the Catalan business sector and the unified approach being taken to reactive the country’s society and economy.