Design of a new generation service store for RET

Abstract

The city of Rotterdam is globally recognized for its port and its international trading. The city is an important key player for the imports and exports of the European trading market. For this reason, many, small and large, companies have decided to establish their business in or just outside the city. These companies can not operate without having people working for them. All that people must be able to travel to work daily but also do fun things during their free time. For this, they need reliable transportation alternatives. This is where public transportation comes into play. Within the city, several types of transportation can be found like buses, trams, and metros. Everyday the RET makes sure these vehicles are available to get the people of Rotterdam and visitors to their preferred destination.

When providing public transport, it is important to have good services, which support the industry of public transport. Without these services, people will associate travelling by public transport with something negative. In Rotterdam there are three locations which are important in the infrastructure of public transport. Rotterdam CS, Beurs, and Zuidplein are the main stations where various forms of transportation can be used by customers. RET provides an extra service at these locations in the form of service points. Every day, employees of the RET help their customers to have a relaxed and pleasant journey. The problem is that the contemporary service points are getting outdated and do not fully fulfill the needs and wishes of RET’s customers and employees anymore.

The world of public transport is changing. For years buses, trams, and metros have been the main solution when travelling by public transport. However, times are changing, and so is public transport. Shared mobility is getting more popular by the day. In Rotterdam there are various forms of shared mobility like bicycles, e-scooters, and shared cars. More and more these kinds of companies are becoming new competitors in the world of public transportation.

To stay relevant in the rapidly changing world of public transportation, a new kind of SP is needed. The project ‘New generation service store for RET’ was conducted to find a solution for the outdated SP at Rotterdam CS. During the project, a literature review based on research was done. There was an active involvement of RET employees and RET customers for developing a new kind of Mobility store. By making drawings and turning them into a virtual reality environment, people were able to assess the designed environment and see if it fulfilled their needs and wishes.

This project concludes with recommendations for the design of a Mobility store, which could be established at the passage of the Rotterdam CS’s metro hall.