Parking challenge in healthcare? We help you get started

Parking challenge in healthcare

You know the situation all too well: at your hospital or healthcare facility, countless colleagues, patients, and visitors arrive every day. They come by bike, public transport, but often also by car. And they all want one of the limited parking spaces at your location. This causes unrest and sometimes frustration. How do you deal with this parking challenge? It is difficult to influence the behavior of visitors and patients, but with employees, you do have that possibility. We help you get started.

Balance between parking, accessibility, and sustainability

Enough parking spaces for colleagues, patients, and visitors who often arrive during peak times. The demand is high, and the supply is limited because parking space is scarce. In addition, the accessibility of some hospitals by public transport has declined in recent years. Meanwhile, the focus on making transportation more sustainable is growing. The ‘Green Deal Sustainable Healthcare’ sets ambitious goals: a significant CO2 reduction by 2026 and climate neutrality by 2050. This is not only good for the planet. It also increases your attractiveness as an employer, as sustainability is becoming increasingly important in choosing a new job.

Traveling by public transport and shared mobility reduces parking pressure

You have little influence on visitors and patients, but there are levers you can use for employees. Especially employees who work during the day (at the office) can often reach their workplace well by public transport and shared mobility. With a Hely hub, you can even deploy a fixed pool of shared cars and electric bikes on site. This makes it even easier to leave the car at home. Another solution is to encourage more work-from-home days. These measures can already lead to much less crowded parking lots.

Start with insight: how do your employees actually travel?

A successful approach begins with insight. How do employees usually travel now? Can you categorize travel behavior into those who mostly use the car, those who can easily travel by public transport, and where improvements are possible? We advise you to conduct a mobility scan. The data from this will show you for which employees public transport is interesting and where other opportunities for more sustainable travel lie. For example, colleagues with day shifts who can easily take the train, while employees with night shifts may need the flexibility of a (shared) car.

Make mobility part of your vision

Pursuing sustainable mobility is great, but it only works if it truly fits your organization. Your vision on mobility should logically follow from what your organization values. It acts as a compass and creates clear frameworks.

Do you want to directly influence employee behavior? That is possible, for example, with clear agreements about parking capacity and travel reimbursements. Or would you rather entice them? For example, with attractive alternatives such as shared cars, public transport subscriptions, and bike plans that make traveling easier and more enjoyable. A mobility policy with a clear vision also helps explain your choices better to employees. This creates more understanding and less resistance.

Changing behavior only works if it delivers something

Car use is often a habit. To get employees to break free from it, the new behavior must not only be mandatory but above all attractive. We see that a mix of steering and enticing works best. Think of, for example:

Free or affordable use of shared transport with the NS-Business Card
Reserving and limiting parking spaces for employees who live nearby
Campaigns showing the benefits of sustainable travel: less stress, more travel time to be productive in between, and contributing to a better world

You only convince people if they understand what’s in it for them. Like getting home earlier, stress-free travel, more personal time during public transport trips, or contributing to the environment. Changes require patience and a good story that personally resonates with employees.

Read about behavior change

Irregular shifts: where is the opportunity?

Colleagues with irregular shifts outside office hours often use their car. For this group, traveling by public transport can sometimes be a step too far. And that is understandable. But sometimes you can offer tailor-made solutions. Combine both steering and enticing here as well:

Provide free use of shared transport via the NS-Business Card
Offer shared cars and shared bikes at your location, for example with a Hely Hub
Provide a maximum number of parking spaces at your location
Encourage employees who work at the office to travel by train during off-peak hours
Promote different behavior with campaigns that highlight the convenience and benefits of sustainable travel

We are happy to help you discover what works for your organization and employees.

Download free whitepaper ‘Duurzame mobiliteit in de zorg: zo doe je dat'

In the whitepaper ‘Duurzame mobiliteit in de zorg: zo doe je dat', we explain how to transition to a more sustainable mobility policy in three steps. We share practical tips and examples, as well as ways to change your employees’ travel behavior.

Download free whitepaper

Our solutions

Do you want to get started with sustainable mobility as a hospital or healthcare institution? We offer knowledge, insights, and products that fully support you and with which you can truly make a difference.

Do you want advice or have a question? Let us know and we will get in touch with you quickly.

NS-Business Card

The mobility card with which employees travel by train, bus, tram, metro, and shared transport. Travel costs are easily consolidated on one invoice, without expense claims hassle. Subscriptions are optional, for example, an affordable off-peak subscription for day shifts.

Discover NS-Business Card

NS Go

This smart mobility platform gives you control by collecting all your employees’ trips and making parking spot reservations easy. Through integration with work schedules and your finance system, reimbursements are automatically processed. This gives you an overview and saves you and your HR and finance colleagues a lot of time.

Discover NS Go

Shared transport

You can give employees access to various forms of shared transport, such as Greenwheels cars, OV bikes, and Check shared scooters. This can give them an extra push to choose public transport and leave the car behind.

Hely hub

You can also deploy a fixed pool of shared cars and electric bikes via Hely hubs on location. This makes it easy for employees to leave the car at home even for short or last-minute trips. A big help, especially with irregular shifts and changing working hours.

Advice or a question?

Do you want advice on solving your parking challenges or need help setting up a sustainable mobility policy? We are here to help you.

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