Author: Via Official News

October 22, 2019 7:08 PM
Cooee Busways Integrates On-Demand Transport with Australia’s New Multi-Modal ‘Opal Connect’ Platform

Cooee Busways riders can now pay using Opal Connect, making Via one of the first technology providers to integrate with TfNSW’s new account-based ticketing system.

October 22, 2019 (SYDNEY) — Via, the world’s leading provider and developer of public mobility solutions, today announced the on-demand transport service Cooee Busways is officially one of the first demand-responsive transportation providers in Australia to fully integrate with Opal Connect, a new account-based ticketing system by Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW).

In partnership with leading Australian transportation provider Busways, Cooee provides first- and last- mile connections to three Sydney Metro public transportation hubs and the local shopping centre, all completely on-demand. Commuters in The Ponds, Schofields, and Kellyville Ridge use the Via-powered Cooee Busways smartphone app (iOS and Android) to request quick and efficient shared trips, enabling them to leave their personal vehicles at home.

Now Cooee Busways users will have even more flexibility with Opal Connect, a new ticketing solution that aims to provide an integrated and convenient experience for customers through a singular, trusted digital account.

Going forward, residents using Cooee Busways who sign up for Opal Connect will receive a $2 travel credit each time they transfer to Opal services like the bus, train, or Metro. They can then use that travel credit towards any future on-demand services that accept Opal, an incentive transport leaders say will turn occasional riders into daily users, further reducing congestion and emissions caused by driving single-occupancy vehicles.

“The biggest hurdle for people catching public transport is often that first and last mile,” said New South Wales Transport Minister Andrew Constance. “Our goal is to make this key part of the journey as simple and integrated as possible. This first stage of Opal Connect provides another incentive to leave the car at home and enjoy a ride on our new, state of the art Metro system.”

With Opal Connect, customers create an account via the transportnsw.info website, and then securely link their Opal card, along with their credit or debit card. Customers can then use their Opal Connect account to sign in to different transport operator’s apps to book and pay for their travel, including Via’s Cooee Busways app.

Residents using Cooee Busways have already proven their eagerness to leave their private vehicles at home, too. Riders took more than 40,000 trips with Cooee in less than five months, with 55 percent of riders saying they previously used a private vehicle to make the journey. From this, 4 percent stated they had sold their car since using Cooee Busways, with a further 43 percent considering selling their vehicle.

By integrating with Opal Connect, both Busways and Via hope to see an even larger number of commuters turn to Cooee Busways to make their journeys. Into the future, Opal Connect has the capability to become a one-stop-shop for all transport transactions and information, whether public transport, rideshare, taxis, parking,and even tolling.

Via has been tapped by cities and transportation players around the world to help re-engineer public transit from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, digital network. Via now has more than 90 launched and pending deployments in more than 20 countries. To learn more about Via, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.

About Via

Via is re-engineering public transit, from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, digital network. Via’s mobile app connects multiple passengers who are headed the same way, allowing riders to seamlessly share a premium vehicle. First launched in New York City in September 2013, the Via platform operates in the United States and in Europe through its joint venture with Mercedes-Benz Vans, ViaVan. Via’s technology is also deployed worldwide through dozens of partner projects with public transportation agencies, private transit operators, taxi fleets, private companies, and universities, seamlessly integrating with public transit infrastructure to power cutting-edge on-demand mobility. For more information, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.

About Busways

Busways Group is the largest family owned bus operator in New South Wales, Australia with 77 years’ experience providing exceptional standards of public transportation to hundreds of communities on the east coast. Busways is interested in how innovative transport solutions can enhance mobility and access for different customer groups.

With a team of over 1,500 people, committed to transporting over 21 million passengers each year, Busways prides itself on taking a proactive approach to public transport delivery to ensure the customer’s journey is as seamless as possible.

Published September 17, 2019 5:03 pm, Via NYC
‘Link On Demand’ Popularity Surges as Colorado Commuters Turn to On-Demand Public Transit
The on-demand service draws hundreds of customers every week, letting riders leave their cars at home during daily commutes.

September 17, 2019 (LONE TREE, COLORADO) — Via, the world’s leading provider and developer of on-demand public mobility solutions, today released milestone metrics for the City of Lone Tree’s Link On Demand transportation system, which launched in partnership with Via in February 2019. In the last six months, residents and area commuters have taken tens of thousands of rides, with vehicle utilization well beyond projected goals.

“Expanded transportation options and congestion relief are top priorities for Lone Tree residents and businesses. Link On Demand allowed the City to optimize its transportation infrastructure investments and improve access and mobility throughout Lone Tree,” said Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet. “Demand for the service continues to grow and our partnership with Via has resulted in improved customer service, ridership and data collection.”

The City of Lone Tree originally piloted Link On Demand in 2018 and transitioned to its current partnership with Via earlier this year. The on-demand transportation system serves as a free shuttle anywhere within the city limits, providing riders with a convenient and comfortable way to access anything in Lone Tree while reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions caused by single-occupancy vehicles.

Since partnering with Via, however, residents have proved their eagerness to leave their private vehicles at home and take public transportation. Riders took more than 28,000 trips on Link On Demand in less than six months, with ridership demand actually increasing after the Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) southeast rail extension in Lone Tree in May 2019. It now averages more than 1,000 rides per week in a city with fewer than 15,000 residents.

And while Link On Demand serves as a connection to anywhere within the city limits, the service is most popular with daily commuters getting to and from the office. In fact, the Charles Schwab and Kaiser Permanente’s corporate campuses account for 25 percent of all pick-ups since launching in February, and 24.8 percent of all drop-offs.

What’s more is that ridership to and from those corporate campuses actually increased in the 12 weeks after the RTD extended its E, F and R light-rail service into Lone Tree. The volume of pick-ups increased by 18.2% and drop-offs by 15.2%, with Link On Demand likely acting as a first- and last-mile connection for the increasing volume of commuters taking the train.

This all accounts for the on-demand network’s significant utilization rate, as the number of people requesting rides more than triples during the morning and evening commuting hours. Because of its high utilization rate, Link On Demand has now saved nearly 35,000 vehicle miles by sharing a ride compared to driving a private vehicle, equivalent to eliminating more than 11 tons of CO2 vehicle emissions.

“Via’s technology is redefining mobility across the globe, and we’re thrilled to see such a positive reaction from Lone Tree Link riders since launching the new on-demand service,” Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via, said. “This project proves that the easier it is to take public transport, the more people will reliably choose it over their private vehicle.”

To date, the Link On Demand app has been downloaded more than 3,400 times. This equates to nearly a quarter of Lone Tree’s population having the app.

Commuters can use the service by downloading the Link On Demand smartphone app powered by Via, available on iOS and Android. Link On Demand operates Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.; Friday from 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.; and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.

About Via

Via is re-engineering public transit, from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Via’s mobile app connects multiple passengers who are headed the same way, allowing riders to seamlessly share a premium vehicle. First launched in New York City in September 2013, the Via platform operates in the United States and in Europe through its joint venture with Mercedes-Benz Vans, ViaVan. Via’s technology is also deployed worldwide through dozens of partner projects with public transportation agencies, private transit operators, taxi fleets, private companies, and universities, seamlessly integrating with public transit infrastructure to power cutting-edge on-demand mobility. For more information, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.

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