Mpact has launched "Everyone Mobile," a pilot as part of its SMALL initiative, introducing shared adapted vehicles in Dendermonde. Read the interview with Esen Köse, project manager at Mpact.
Interview with Esen Köse (project manager at Mpact) on the occasion of the official kick-off of the ‘Everyone Mobile’ project on May 23, 2025. This project is part of the SMALL initiative.
How did the ‘Everyone Mobile’ project end up in Dendermonde?
“That was purely coincidental. We were contacted by CM and IKOO vzw. This organisation is officially recognised by the government to provide adapted transport for people with reduced mobility in the Waas and Dender region. They wanted to make adapted transport accessible to a broader audience and set up this pilot project with us to achieve that.”
Who does their current audience consist of?
“Right now, it’s primarily people already connected to IKOO vzw in some way who use the adapted transport. The goal is to extend access to people outside of that circle as well.”
What exactly is ‘adapted transport’?
“Generally, ‘adapted transport’ refers either to rides with a driver for those unable to drive themselves, or to vehicles modified for specific needs, such as wheelchair accessibility.”
“In our project, it’s just about the vehicles. We have included a lift bus, an adapted shared car, a duo bike, and an adapted off-road wheelchair.”
What is Cozywheels’ role in this project?
“Our shared mobility platform, Cozywheels, is part of the experiment to facilitate peer-to-peer sharing of the adapted vehicles. We also have experience assessing the social impact of mobility. The goal is to establish a network in the Waas and Dender region. CM also has the ambition to explore this approach across all of Flanders.”
You’ve chosen co-creation as a method. It’s early in the project, but have you already seen the benefit of using such an approach?
“Once we confirmed our collaboration, we focused on co-creation. We set up several engagement moments, two of which have already taken place.” *
“And yes, you immediately see why co-creation is valuable. Many participants had concerns that could be addressed simply by collaborating and engaging in dialogue. We also gained insights from end-users that we wouldn’t have achieved through a simple survey.”
“Sharing adapted vehicles is a new concept for all of us, so we’re learning as we go. Co-creation is particularly useful in this regard.”
What stood out to you during the co-creation sessions?
“During the first co-creation workshop, we focused a lot on how to involve policymakers without overburdening them or simply asking for financial support. We want to create buy-in from them as well.”
And?
“That remains somewhat uncertain for now. In Dendermonde, for instance, we’ve had great contact with certain departments, but have not necessarily been in contact with the policymakers. We plan to focus on involving that level both here and in other cities and municipalities.”
What’s next for the project? Can you share any details?
“We’re organizing a test event as part of CM Gezonde Buurten to see how shared mobility impacts social well-being. We’ll also host three additional sessions to gather input: one on accessibility, one on multimodality, and the last one for evaluation.”
“By the end of the project, we want to identify what improvements are needed – whether for the vehicles, municipalities, Cozywheels, or other elements – to make these types of projects more effective for the target audience. We’ll summarise all insights into guidelines.”
Will those guidelines be useful for other municipalities to share adapted vehicles?
“Absolutely. Our guidelines will be valuable for other cities and towns in the Waas and Dender region. They will also be relevant across Flanders because this is a concrete project that puts accessibility policy into practice. We’re already seeing topics like affordability, management, and social well-being emerge as key areas.”
Are adapted vehicles a hot topic? It seems important but not widely discussed.
“At Mpact, we’ve noticed a demand for sharing adapted vehicles. These vehicles aren’t cheap, so sharing can help lower financial barriers. We’re pioneers in this field and are also active with Cozywheels in Bruges under the Tope Riejn project. Soon, we’ll start a similar project in Izegem.”
“Adapted vehicles are very invisible in public spaces. They’re not top-of-mind in mobility, let alone shared mobility. It will be interesting to see how having these vehicles in Dendermonde raises awareness, both among users and policymakers.”
* The first co-creation session brought together vehicle providers, including the Sports Department, OCMW, and IKOO vzw. A CM representative knowledgeable about VAPH subsidies participated, as well as an accessibility expert (INTER) and a representative for people with disabilities.
The second session focused more on end-users, including people already using adapted transport, individuals with various disabilities, representatives, and the Sports Department again.