Travel risk management is a top priority for corporates across Europe, but risks associated with ground transport are ‘often overlooked’, according to research by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and mobility platform Freenow.
A survey of more than 400 business travellers and 76 corporate travel managers across four European markets – Germany, Ireland, Spain and the UK – revealed that 85 per cent of corporates have risk-related policies specific to business travel, but only about half (55 per cent) “always” or “often” address ground transport in these policies.
Most travel programmes (63 per cent) conduct a formal analysis of their company’s unique risk profile as recommended by ISO 31030 – the Travel Risk Management Standard. However, only 41 per cent “always” or “often” feature ground transport risks in this analysis.
Additionally, 62 per cent of companies said they conduct regular safety trainings for employees about business travel, but only about half (56 per cent) “always” or “often” include ground transport risks.
The study also highlighted location data – or lack thereof – as a particular weakness. While 89 per cent of managed travel programmes have a traveller tracking system in place, only a quarter (24 per cent) can “always” or “often” track employees using ground transport data specifically.
“The research reflects that travel programmes can do more to improve how they manage risk when it comes to ground transportation for their employees,” said GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang. “Educating employees on the realities of ground transportation safety is crucial, helping them make informed decisions when navigating their travel options.”
Most business travellers, meanwhile, do not have an accurate view of transportation risks, according to the report. When asked which type of travel – air, rail or ground transport – was the most likely to experience a safety-related incident, fewer than half of travellers in Germany (31 per cent), the UK (33 per cent) and Ireland (38 per cent) said ground transport.
“A larger number falsely believe that either air or rail transport is more dangerous,” the report said.
Half of business travellers in Spain (51 per cent) identified ground transport as the travel mode most at risk of a safety-related incident.
The research also indicated that taxis are often perceived as the safest form of third-party ground transport, with 50 per cent of travel managers considering taxis among the top safest options, compared to 43 per cent for rental cars and 26 per cent for public transit.
The importance of vehicle safety checks (93 per cent), partnering with reputable brands (93 per cent), and requiring drivers to have professional taxi or Black Cab licenses (91 per cent) were all identified by travel managers as important factors when choosing a ground transport vendor.