Tag: People

Via and Busways Launch Microtransit Service Connecting The Ponds and Schofields Residents to Public Transit

Published June 12, 2019 4:16 pm, Via NYC
Via and Busways Launch Microtransit Service Connecting The Ponds and Schofields Residents to Public Transit
The Cooee Busways app brings on-demand, dynamic transportation to suburbs surrounding two new Sydney Metro stations.

June 12, 2019 (New South Wales, Australia) — Via, the world’s leading provider and developer of on-demand public mobility solutions, today announced a new microtransit deployment in partnership with Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) and Busways, a leading Australian public transit provider. Called Cooee Busways, the new on-demand shared transit network brings first- and last- mile rides for residents in The Ponds and Schofields, connecting more residents to the Sydney Metro public transportation system.

Cooee Busways is now Via’s fourth microtransit deployment in New South Wales, Australia, joining services in Newcastle, Northern Beaches and Macquarie Park.

“Via’s technology is redefining mobility across the globe, and we are thrilled to partner with Busways and TfNSW to provide residents with a convenient, affordable, and congestion-reducing transportation alternative,” said Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via. “Via’s powerful passenger matching and vehicle routing algorithm is the solution to solving the first-and-last mile challenge, seamlessly integrating into the existing public transit infrastructure to connect residents to transit hubs in their communities.”

Using the Cooee Busways app, riders will be able to hail a shuttle directly from their smartphone. Via’s advanced algorithms will enable multiple riders to seamlessly share the vehicle. The powerful technology will direct passengers to a nearby virtual bus stop within a short walking distance for pick up and drop off, allowing for quick and efficient shared trips without lengthy detours, or inconvenient fixed routes and schedules.

Cooee Busways operates Monday to Friday from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m., connecting commuters with Schofields Train Station and the new Sydney Metro stations at Tallawong and Rouse Hill. With the opening of Sydney Metro Northwest, Via’s timely deployment provides an affordable, convenient, and reliable transportation option for those commuting through these new major transit hubs.

“Integrated public transport options will alleviate commuter’s frustration with congestion on western Sydney roads when they’re just trying to get to work and back home each day,” Busways Managing Director, Byron Rowe, said. “The Ponds and Schofields are growing areas and the Cooee Busways on-demand service provides a crucial first and last mile link to the train and metro.”

Commuters can use the service by downloading the Cooee Busways smartphone app powered by Via, available on iOS and Android. Users can book rides between Schofields Train Station, Tallawong Metro station, or Rouse Hill Metro station, and anywhere within the service zone highlighted within the app.

Via is a leading provider and developer of on-demand public mobility solutions, working with cities and transportation agencies around the world to connect more people to transit. Cooee Busways is among numerous other deployments powered by Via around the globe that make it easier for commuters who do not own a car, prefer not to drive and park, or live within a long distance of a transit hub.

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, on-demand network. Via now has more than 70 launched and pending deployments in more than 15 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, 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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Walmart to test self-driving delivery from warehouse to warehouse

A Wal-Mart employee pushes grocery carts at a store in Miami.Getty ImagesWhen most people think about how self-driving cars will help retailers, the image that comes to mind often is a robot car whisking a delivery to a customer's door, but according to an article in Bloomberg the reality — at least in the near term — will be different.
Analysts cited by the news service estimate the market for transporting goods on a fixed route from warehouse to warehouse using driverless vehicles could reach $1 trillion. These miles in the middle help get goods closer to their final destination.
Walmart, which has experienced a boom in online sales, will begin using robot cars to transport goods in between warehouses, in the hopes that the company will be able to cut costs and increase efficiency.
Walmart spokeswoman Molly Blakeman told CNBC the retailer is working with its partner Gatik, a self-driving vehicle startup, to test out a self-driving vehicle. It will travel along a two-mile route in Bentonville, Arkansas between two stores.
“We are working with city and state officials to obtain the approval we need to operate and plan to start the pilot program this summer with the aim being to learn about the logistics of adding AVs into our ecosystem, operation and process changes, and more opportunities to incorporate this emerging technology,” Blakeman said.
Consumers have grown wary of robot-taxis due to accidents like the killing of a pedestrian last year by Uber's new test car, Bloomberg reported.
The robo-trucks also take out the human element, eliminating the hassle of human passengers and the cost to create a passenger compartment in the first place.
With the rise of online shopping, the robots also fill a huge demand for truck drivers. A shortage of drivers has led to 60,000 unfilled long-haul positions, according to data Bloomberg cited from the American Trucking Association.
Read the full Bloomberg story here.
VIDEO3:5003:50Walmart announces an in-home grocery delivery serviceSquawk Box

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Fiat Ducato Electric debuts in Europe, first electric commercial van from brand

In the U.S., pickups reign supreme for most work detail. Abroad? That duty often falls to slab-sided commercial vans like the Fiat Ducato. In the U.S. the Ducato is offered as the Ram ProMaster, but is largely identical.

Earlier this month, Fiat Professional rolled out its 2020 Ducato van with slight updates inside and out, but the brand offered for the first time an electric powertrain that could make it into wider production soon.

Fiat didn't offer many details about the electric powertrain such as range, power, wheels driven, or batteries, but the automaker said the vans would be available for pre-order soon and would be offered to select buyers first to test and study how owners will use the vans.

A spokesman for Ram didn't immediately comment on whether the vans would be offered in the U.S.

Although hardly sexy, electric commercial vans on the roads would reduce emissions significantly in dense cities. The vans are often used for myriad jobs and constantly run. Any emissions improvements in commercial vehicles can have wide-reaching impact in carbon reductions in cities all over the globe.

Although this is Fiat's first foray into electric vans, they're not alone. For instance, Mercedes-Benz has announced an electric version of its Sprinter van, the eSprinter; Ford has a range-extended version of its Transit Connect commercial van; and Nissan offers in the U.K an electric e-NV200.

That's a boon to businesses across Europe, who have significantly higher running costs for gasoline-powered vehicles than they would with electric vehicles. EVTrader found last year that light-commercial vehicles in Europe cost roughly 23-28 cents per mile to run versus 6-7 cents per mile for an electric van.

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