Keoscopie, a unique lifestyle observatory to imagine tomorrow’s mobility

In an effort to meet people's expectations as effectively as possible, Keolis deciphers today's lifestyles in order to imagine tomorrow's mobility. Keoscopie, an observatory headed by Keolis' Forecasting Department, has been carrying out studies for over twenty years, researching and observing use patterns and lifestyles, the different profiles of communities and their local specificities. Based on an innovative forward-looking approach, it helps to build concrete solutions for ever more attractive mobility, taking into account citizens in all their diversity.

“Represent the voice of the customers”

The Keoscopie observatory is part of a philosophy of co-construction of mobility services, based on listening and dialogue with public transport authorities, councillors and public officials and the general public.

 Meeting and sharing

Throughout the year, the findings of Keolis research and studies are presented to local councillors and public transport authorities, as well as to local Keolis teams, to assist them in conceiving and building tomorrow's mobility in their community.

These discussions take the form of talks open to the general public or private meetings, and are designed to shed light on the issues facing each community, taking into account citizens in their diversity.

“Our lives in motion” podcast – breaking down received wisdom on the subject of mobility

In Our lives in motion, journalist César Monteyrol talks to Eric Chareyron, foresight director at Keolis. Together, they analyse the patterns of citizens and the impact of transformations in society on the use of public or private transport options.

The findings of the Keoscopie observatory help Keolis to move towards increasingly attractive, flexible, inclusive and personalised mobility. The Group builds and constantly improves its transport offer and associated services, to better serve the communities and adapt to people's new lifestyles and expectations.

For example, it is thanks to the findings of the Keoscopie observatory that the Flexo services were developed. Symbolising Keolis' commitment to passenger safety, these services go beyond on-demand transport. Deployed in Ile-de-France and Nancy, Flexo provides passengers with virtually personalised journeys in the evenings and at weekends, without prior booking. The aim is to take them in complete safety as close as possible to where they live, when they get off the last train, or from the city centre. The driver then builds their route around the stops requested by passengers. In Montgeron, the bus waits for passengers if trains are delayed.

Other networks have benefited from the Keoscopie experience by, for example, naming public transport stops in respect of the neighbourhoods and/or facilities they serve, so that they are easier for the public to identify.

All forms of vulnerability in motion

• 30 million people in France experience problems when it comes to mobility

• 1 in 5 households does not own a car (up to 50% in some districts)

• 1 in 8 adults have difficulty reading or writing

• Nearly 20% of adults are eligible for long-term illness benefits.

Implications and recommendations for mobility:

• Offer transport networks that are adapted and take into account people’s vulnerabilities, some of which may not be visible,

• maintain a human presence,

• think about comfort on board, appropriate fittings at stops, etc.

Digital tech to back up traditional solutions

• 85% of people surveyed think that digital tech makes them more efficient and helps them get the most out of everyday life…

• while 83% think that with digital tech, we are in a two-speed society where some people are abandoned.

• A third of adults have given up on completing administrative procedures online

Implications and recommendations for mobility:

• Continue to use a variety of communication channels and maintain human interaction (telephone or physical contact in sales offices, presence of staff on the network) for advice, complex requests or on-demand service bookings so that no-one is left by the wayside.

Very irregular and differing lifestyle tempos

• Behind the flows, the individuals: when we observe in the evening that on average 2,000 passholders use the network every day, in reality 20,000 different passholders will have used it at least once in the course of the month.

• Approximately 1 in 2 adults does not work

• About 6 out of 10 adults live without children

• More than 9 out of 10 working people worked during the October half-term holiday

• Less than 1 in 10 working people telework every day

Implications and recommendations for mobility:

• Supplement the footfall analysis with that of the number of beneficiaries

• Reason in terms of making public transport appealing all day, all week and all year long,

• Adapt resources to flows.

Interactions between communities that extend far beyond commuting.

• There are more occasional customers (who use a network less than once a month) than regular customers.

• A city's area of influence far exceeds its catchment area, as defined by INSEE.

• During the week, a third of people travel to a medical appointment.

Implications and recommendations for mobility:

• Take into account visitors who are not necessarily familiar with the network or the local area,

• Develop services and passenger information that are simple, clear and easy to understand; provide a human presence at the main points on the network;

• Raise awareness and train customer-facing staff.