ViaVan launches app for new first/last mile service with BVG in Brandenburg
Powered by ViaVan and operated by BVG, BerlKönig BC will provide citizens in rural communities outside of Berlin access to mass transit going into the city
2 August 2019 (BERLIN) -- ViaVan, Europe’s leading provider of on-demand public mobility solutions, today announced a new public transportation deployment on behalf of Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG). Dubbed “BerlKönig BC”, the new BVG service powered by ViaVan’s technology will provide an innovative first-and-last-mile connection to U-Bahn railway stations traditionally underserved by fixed route services. BerlKönig BC is the second service ViaVan and BVG have worked on together, following on the heels of their groundbreaking BerlKönig service, which launched in central Berlin in September 2018.
“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with BVG with the launch of BerlKönig BC,” said Chris Snyder, CEO of ViaVan. “This service is an exciting example of how public transportation and technology can work together to make a city smarter, extend access to public transit, and reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips.”
Riders will be able to pre-book rides directly through the BerlKönig BC mobile app up to one month in advance, and the fleet includes wheelchair accessible vehicles.
The project is funded by the National Federal Clean Air Program, which was established to find immediate solutions to harmful carbon emissions across Germany. ViaVan was selected to power the service in part due to the exceptional performance the partners’ debut BerlKönig service. Operating in central Berlin, the BerlKönig has delivered more than 750,000 rides in its first 10 months. More than 80% of BerlKönig rides have two or more passengers in the vehicle at the same time, up to 97% at peak times.
ViaVan powers a similar first-and-last mile service in the UK with bus operator Arriva in the rural town of Sittingbourne with a high number of commuters who rely on a nearby train line. Launched in 2018, ArrivaClick has seen more than 50% of its passengers switch from private vehicle use to shared transport to connect to the commuter train line. ViaVan and Arriva have also launched ArrivaClick in Liverpool and Leicester as microtransit services with connections to public transit. In London, ViaVan recently partnered with Transport for London (TfL) and Go-Ahead for a demand-responsive bus pilot aimed at reducing private vehicle use for access to public transit in the borough of Sutton on the outskirts of the city. Later this year, ViaVan will launch a service with HSL (Helsinki Regional Transit Authority) for on-demand shared transit in Espoo, part of the Helsinki capital region, to provide efficient public transit connections for commuters and Espoo residents.
Globally, ViaVan and parent company Via, have 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 and ViaVan now have more than 80 launched and pending deployments in nearly 20 countries, providing more than 60 million rides to date.
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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, the leading manufacturer of iconic passenger and cargo vans. Working closely with cities and public transit operators, ViaVan powers dynamic shared mobility services that complement existing transportation infrastructure. ViaVan currently operates direct-to-consumer services in London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Milton Keynes. 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.