Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Company promises S’pore affordable, on-demand bus services in ‘under a second’

SINGAPORE — On-demand bus services in “under a second” at “extremely affordable prices”: that is the promise by ride-sharing firm Via Transportation as it marks its first-ever foray into the South-east Asian market.

Via Transportation says, with its technology, Singapore has the potential to revolutionise its public transit, transforming it from a regulated system of fixed routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Photo: Via

Via Transportation says, with its technology, Singapore has the potential to revolutionise its public transit, transforming it from a regulated system of fixed routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Photo: Via

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

SINGAPORE — On-demand bus services in “under a second” at “extremely affordable prices”: that is the promise by ride-sharing firm Via Transportation as it marks its first-ever foray into the South-east Asian market.

Earlier this month, the New York-based company was named by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) as one of two companies which are awarded contracts worth close to half a million dollars for the first phase of its trial of on-demand, “dynamically-routed” public bus services in Singapore.

The other company is homegrown start-up Ministry of Movement (Swat).

The firms were chosen from among 10 bids submitted by local and overseas bidders since LTA called a tender in August last year.

The trial is to help LTA assess if customised public bus services could optimise resources and operating costs in areas and periods with low ridership.

Via currently operates its service in New York City, Chicago, and Washington DC, providing over 1.5 million rides per month in the United States.

In an e-mail interview with TODAY, Mr Zachary Wasserman, head of Via’s global business development, said the company is “excited” to partner LTA as it is “a shining example of excellent city and transportation planning and has demonstrated its commitment to leveraging innovative mobility solutions”.

“With Via’s technology, Singapore has the potential to revolutionise its public transit, transforming it from a regulated system of fixed routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network,” said Mr Wasserman.

With Via’s algorithm, he added, passengers who book a ride are matched in under a second to a vehicle, and it can connect multiple passengers who are headed the same way, allowing riders to share a dynamically-routed vehicle.

The company promises to match commuters to on-demand bus services in “under a second”, at “extremely affordable prices”. A check on Via’s website showed that rides can start from US$5 (S$6.60) for New York users.

“Singaporeans can potentially soon book convenient and efficient shared rides at the tap of a button,” added Mr Wasserman.

Via will be working closely with the LTA to design and customise the details for Singapore’s on-demand bus service trial, as well as “localise” it to meet the specific needs of the Singapore market, Mr Wasserman said, without giving further details.

As part of its other ventures, Via also licenses its on-demand transit technology to transportation operators, and partners with cities and transit authorities globally.

For instance, Via has launched partnerships in Arlington (Texas, United States), Queenstown (New Zealand), and Newcastle (Australia). Additional partnerships in Berlin (Germany), Los Angeles, California, and West Sacramento (all United States) are in the pipeline this year.

It is also trying to carve out a niche in Europe by expanding its on-demand shuttle services there, through a newly-formed joint venture called ViaVan with German automaker Daimler.

Commenting on the role of such ride-sharing models, Mr Wasserman said he sees Via’s on-demand shared ride solution “as part of the public transportation tool kit” along with other modes of transport such as bicycle, bus, and metro.

He said he is seeing a trend where more cities and transport agencies are looking for ways to incorporate on-demand services into their offering.

“(Such a model) allows cities and operators to increase efficiency, reduce cost, and provide comprehensive service to the community,” he added.

“We expect this to expand as more and more people see how successful these services are.”

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.