The Factory on Non-ferrous Metals (FNM) is a corporation from 10 companies producing and refining non-ferrous metal materials and alloys. It covers an area of 0.9km2 and is situated 10 km away from the second largest Bulgarian city, Plovdiv (pop 338,153) and 8 km north of Asenovgrad (pop 54,778). There are number of other small towns and villages near-by.
FNM has a centralised management that is responsible for the development and the policies followed by the BIZ.
Discover more about Plovdiv and Moma.BIZ
Video Audit - Plovidv - After MoMa.BIZ
Video Audit - Plovidv - Before MoMa.BIZ
Facts Regarding the BIZ
- Surface 0.9km2
- Nr of companies 10
- Nr of employees approx. 2500
- Modal Split
- Before the Project Implementation
- Public transport (bus): 67%
- Private car (driver): 20%
- Private car (passenger): 8%
- Carpooling: 5%
FNM has well-developed accessibility to the surrounding residential areas facilitated by BIZ collective transport, private vehicle, bicycle and motorbike (in summer).
The BIZ collective transport to the major cities is organised and co-financed by the BIZ management. The employees just have to buy a travel card and get a reimbursement of 20% of its cost.
Even though, there is a considerable parking space, it is usually overcrowded with private vehicles. In summer, some employees travel to the BIZ by bicycle or motorcycle. However, accessibility by bike is rather dangerous as the road connecting the BIZ to the two major cities is characterised by heavy traffic and has no bike lanes.
The BIZ however, has a well developed internal pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.
Visitors and interns at FNM represent 12-15% of the passenger flow to the BIZ; for them the public transport service is a good option.
Problems identified through a background study of the BIZ and the MoMa.BIZ mobility survey are:
- Low quality of the BIZ transport service.
- Inadequate parking space and parking management.
- Lack of carpooling culture.
- Flexible working hours or teleworking is not possible even for employees who work in administration roles.
The Mobility Plan
Based on the above information and in order to improve the mobility options of the BIZ, the LMG prepared a Mobility Plan, entitled Transport and Mobility Improvement Plan, which includes the following measures:
- New quality tender obligations for the transport operators.
- Introducing a Parking Management Map of the BIZ’s parking area.
- Kick-off of Carpooling scheme including an online platform for bringing together employees and the offer of reserved parking for carpoolers.
- Introduction and test drive of cargo bicycles for deliveries within the BIZ.
- Guaranteed ride back home for employees.
- Raising Awareness on Public Transport and Carpooling.
- Information Day for the Transport and Mobility Plan.
The Impact
The Mobility Plan of FNM is an excellent synergy of the demands of the local stakeholders and the corresponding solutions created to address these. It facilitates a common vision of the transport and mobility state of the BIZ through triggering dialogue regarding the needs of the businesses and their employees.
The FNM Senior Management has adopted the Mobility Plan by signing a letter of support, which confirms their involvement and commitment to proceeding with the implementation of the planned measures and the disseminating its results even after the end of the MoMa.BIZ project.
A year on, the implementation of mobility measures of the Plan has introduced a state of the art BIZ transport management system and set additional innovations for the future.
Within the plan, the local project coordinator – the Energy Agency of Plovdiv (EAP) – has set improvement measures such as development of carpooling, undertaking a study of vanpooling possibilities, establishment of parking management scheme, test of cargo bicycles, etc. New boards for the bus stops including the BIZ’s Mobility Label are produced. They will be also feature in the BIZ collective transport buses to show the destinations and time schedules. A parking management map is developed to organise and display the 223 parking lots available - 15 lots reserved for carpooling, 4 lots reserved for people with reduced mobility, 20 lots reserved for the Senior Management and visitors; it also shows info spots, renovated bus stops and a spaces reserved for bikes. The map gives priority to the sustainable modes of transport.
At FNM cargo bicycles for internal deliveries are tested. Employees welcomed them and considered them proof that riding a bicycle is a fun, healthy and practical activity.
EAP and FNM organised a Mobility Week and a special “InfoDay” for presenting the Mobility Plan results and promote sustainable mobility solutions. Materials on the benefits of implementing the MoMa.BIZ Methodology, Public transport usage and Carpooling Scheme Implementation were disseminated; furthermore, the newsletters telling the successful story of the realisation of the project were presented. The “InfoDay” concluded with a ceremony for awarding FNM with an “A Class” Mobility Label Certificate for its advancement in the field of mobility management. The improvement achieved – from Mobility Class “B” to “A” was a result of the BIZ implementing all the measures of the Mobility Plan. Eventually, the event triggered a change not only in the attitudes of stakeholders and workers to sustainable transport, but also in their transport behaviour.