On-demand public mobility solutions provider, ViaVan announced a new public transportation deployment for Berlin-based service, Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG). Dubbed BerlKönig BC, the new BVG service, powered by ViaVan’s technology, will provide a 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 launched together, following on the heels of their BerlKönig service, which launched in central Berlin in September 2018.
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.
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.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
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