- Cooperation with public transport operator RATPDev and Transport for London
- MOIA supplies technology, RATPDev assumes operations
- Service in Ealing district to improve residents' access to local public transportation
Berlin/London, 25 July 2019 - MOIA, the mobility service provider in the Volkswagen Group, and RATPDev, one of the world's largest transport companies, are mobilising a joint ridepooling test in London. Both companies cooperate under the umbrella of the London Transport Authority, Transport for London (TfL). The test is planned to begin in autumn 2019 and is scheduled to last twelve months.
The pilot project in the Ealing district aims to investigate how innovative mobility concepts can encourage people to switch from their own vehicles to more sustainable mode of transport and how ridepooling can complement public transport. Ownership of private vehicles is high in Ealing, around 40 percent of local residents commute to work in their own car according to surveys. The pooling vehicles are to supplement the existing bus network and improve the connections to the underground and railway stations. By bundling individual trips, the road infrastructure in the city can be used more efficiently, congestion and emissions are avoided and the environment thus relieved.
"London is an important project for us in multiple regards. For the first time, we are launching a ridepooling service not entirely on our own, but together with a public transport operator. With RATPDev we have an industry heavyweight at our side and hope to gain insights for future cooperation models", says Sascha Meyer, Chief Product Officer (CPO) of MOIA. "On the other hand, we are gaining our first international experience in London. As in Germany, close cooperation with local transport authorities such as TfL is very important to us".
“We are always looking at new ways to help us meet the Mayor’s Transport Strategy goal to have, by 2041, 80 per cent of trips to be walking, cycling and by public transport. These trials will help us to understand if a more flexible, on-demand offering will tempt people out of their cars to try more sustainable alternatives”, says Michael Hurwitz, TfL’s Director of Transport Innovation. “Having trials in two different locations in outer London with a variety of travel patterns will give us a good understanding of whether it is possible to complement the existing bus network in areas that have been traditionally difficult to serve with conventional public transport.”
Coralie Triadou, Director Microtransit RATPDev, says: “As we move into a digital age, on-demand bus services are changing the way we think about travel. Technology is enabling buses to be more personalised and convenient, while also remaining affordable. RATP Dev is applying the latest innovations to make London easier, cleaner and simpler to get around.
“We think demand-responsive transport services have a huge role to play in the future of transport. As well as adding convenience, on-demand buses can complement public transport and benefit the environment, helping move more people from A to B while reducing the number of vehicles on the road. We are proud to be working with TfL, MOIA, and Ealing Council on such an exciting project.”
In the joint test, MOIA will supply the technology, including the customer and driver apps and the pooling algorithm. RATPDev takes over the operations of the vehicle fleet. The route of the vehicles is completely flexible and based on demand. A dense network of virtual stops guarantees that customers need to walk a maximum of 200 meters both when entering and exiting the system. The service times are daily from 6 am to 1 am.
RATPDev is one of the world's largest passenger transportation companies and operates public transportation systems in 14 countries. MOIA is already on the road with its ridepooling service in Hamburg and Hanover. Besides the test of MOIA and RATPDev there is a further one in London, which has already started in Sutton in May.
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About MOIA
MOIA is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. Based in Berlin and Hamburg, the company develops mobility services and works in partnership with cities and local public transport operators. MOIA is currently developing and implementing various services along the mobility value chain with different services for different customer groups. MOIA Ridesharing is a system to avoid individual car traffic and use road infrastructure more efficiently. Cities are relieved of congestion, noise and emissions. MOIA has been offering its ridesharing service in Hanover since the summer of 2018, followed by Hamburg, the first city with over a million inhabitants, on 15 April 2019.
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