TrafficO2

TrafficO2 is a mobile app that aims to reduce traffic and pollution, by offering to citizens a convenient agreement for everyone.

Problem

Road congestion and air pollution.

Description

trafficO2 is a serious game for sustainable mobility. The goal is to reduce traffic and pollution, offering to citizens a convenient agreement for everyone: prizes in exchange of sustainable moves.

The trafficO2 mobile app interweaves game and info mobility by interacting users through challenges and giving useful information to improve their performance. Each route is described according to the distance travelled, the cost in euros, the environmental cost in terms of CO2, the calories expended and finally in O2 points, i.e. the environmental sustainability credits.

During the first three years of development we conducted three trials with a sample of students from the University of Palermo. Each of these tests, called Sustainable Urban Values Challenge (SUV Challenge), lasted about one month and provided interesting information about interactions among users through the dynamics proposed by the service.

 

Results

First phase: Sustainable Urban Values Challenge (SUV Challenge)

May-June 2014

  • travel mode: walking, cycling
  • testers: 22
  • local business: 12
  • total amount of prizes: 450€
  • km registered: 678
  • CO2 saved: 4,500g

November – December 2014

  • travel mode: walking, cycling, carpooling
  • testers: 128
  • local business: 78 total
  • amount of prizes: 4,500€
  • km registered: 7,473
  • CO2 saved: 17,300g

April – May 2015

  • travel mode: walking, cycling, carpooling, bus
  • testers: 161
  • local business: 76
  • total amount of prizes: 4,700€
  • km registered: 10,528
  • CO2 saved: 33,360g

Lessons Learned

As expected, with the elimination of materials prizes there was a significant reduction in the number of active users (about 70%) demonstrating that tangible rewards represent the most important incentive.

The remaining 30% of testers is therefore the “hard core” of trafficO2 and, when interviewed, they declared to be amused by the new gameplay and by the introduction of the “experience awards.”