ViaVan expands in London and launches first airport service
Leader in shared rides provides new access to affordable, efficient and convenient transportation
December 3, 2018 (LONDON) — ViaVan, Europe’s leading expert in on-demand shared transit, is excited to announce the expansion of its shared ride service in London. ViaVan’s affordable, efficient, and congestion-reducing shared rides will now be available in zones 1-5, including service to London City Airport. The expansion follows on the heels of the October launch of operations in Milton Keynes, and its successful debuts in Amsterdam and Berlin earlier this year.
“ViaVan is redefining mobility across London, providing residents with an innovative transportation solution that provides the same ease and accessibility as private car ownership and taxi trips, but with the affordability and congestion-reducing benefits of mass transit,” said Chris Snyder, CEO of ViaVan. “The tremendous popularity of the service proves that Londoners are eager for more environmentally-focused transit options that can provide a viable alternative to single occupancy vehicle trips, and we look forward to bringing our service to even more of the city.”
ViaVan, a joint venture between Via and Mercedes-Benz Vans, uses Via’s world-renowned dynamic ride-pooling technology. The algorithm enables multiple riders to seamlessly share a single vehicle, directing passengers to a nearby corner—a virtual bus stop—for pickup and dropoff, allowing for efficient shared trips along a route created in real time without lengthy detours that take riders out of their way. Since its launch in zones 1 & 2 earlier this year, ViaVan has provided more than 3 million rides, and more than 17,000 drivers have registered to drive for the platform, which the company estimates at roughly 20-30 percent of Uber’s London fleet based on numbers the company has made available.
Via has powered more than 40 million shared rides globally throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. In the United Kingdom, ViaVan operates in Milton Keynes, and Via’s technology powers services in Liverpool and Sittingbourne in partnership with Arriva, and in Oxford in partnership with Go-Ahead.
About ViaVan: ViaVan is a leading provider of innovative on-demand shared transit services in Europe. ViaVan was founded in 2017 as a joint venture between Via, the world’s most sophisticated developer of dynamic shared rides technology, and Mercedes-Benz Vans. Working closely with cities and public transit operators, ViaVan powers dynamic shared mobility services that complement existing transportation infrastructure, and currently operates in London, Amsterdam, Milton Keynes and in Berlin in partnership with the city’s public transit authority. Through their partnership, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Via are also collaborating on the development of advanced mobility solutions, from sensor technology, to electric vehicle fleet management, to autonomous driving.