GROUND TRANSPORT BY CATHERINE CHETWYND
CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC
MANAGING YOUR GROUND TRANSPORT SPEND CAN BE A CHALLENGE, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
ONCE, MEETINGS SPEND WAS KNOWN to be the last bastion of unmanaged travel, but now ground transportation may have acquired that dubious accolade. Covering everything from local cab companies to chauffeurs with defen- sive driving skills, it is a fragmented sector, and gathering together the com- ponent parts is tantamount to herding cats for the beleaguered travel buyer. In addition, there can be a perception
problem. “Chauffeur-drive is seen to be a luxury and it certainly lies at the higher end of the spectrum, alongside first class air travel and five-star hotels,” says Carey International vice-president Greg
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
Mendoza. “But there are locations where it’s not acceptable to have employees get a taxi at the airport, or hail something on the street. The safety of the traveller has greater weighting than the cost. It’s risk management.” And chauffeur-drive can be cost- effective. London is a good example. “An average customer without any real volume would pay £75 to £80 for a chauffeur-driven Mercedes E-Class from Heathrow to Canary Wharf,” says Mendoza. “I’ve seen receipts for black taxis for that journey for upwards of £120.” He adds that volume discounts mean the gap is wider for big users.
INTEGRATING INFORMATION Technology provided by the major suppliers can be integrated into global distribution systems (GDSs), expense management systems and booking tools. Management information (MI) is provided to clients as required, rather than accessed by customers. Carey also runs a cheaper, no-frills
service through Embarque, which is available in London and 15 cities in the US, including New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC. “All the key areas we cover with Carey apply to Embarque – quality of service, reliability, consistency, safety and driver training,” says Mendoza.
BBT JULY/AUGUST 2014 67
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