MaaStering Integration
Partnerships between cities and mobility platforms can result in numerous benefits that enhance urban transportation systems, improving public transit accessibility and efficiency. FREENOW, Europe’s multi-mobility app with taxis at its core, shares insights on the importance of an effective dialogue between platforms and urban policymakers.
FREENOW
In today’s fast-urbanising world, mobility platforms are not just beneficial but essential for the evolution of modern cities. Effective implementation of sustainable urban mobility strategies requires close collaboration between mobility providers and city authorities.
Cities are dynamic and quick to adopt new trends, with over 40% of citizens already using multiple modes of transport, and 62% shifting their transport habits due to sustainability concerns [1].
Urban mobility strategies must keep pace with these rapid changes. Access to data and cutting-edge technology are crucial for understanding them and taking action.
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platforms can be key partners in transforming urban mobility to make it more accessible, sustainable, and safe—FREENOW already collaborates with European cities, offering valuable insights into traffic patterns, commuter behaviours, and infrastructure needs, while also integrating public transport options into the app.
[1] Source: McKinsey Mobility Consumer Pulse Survey, 27,869 participants from Brazil, China, France, Italy, Japan, Norway, South Africa, and US, December 2022.
Integrating public transport
Alexander Mönch, President FREENOW Deutschland & Österreich, FREENOW
By integrating multimodal transport services with traditional public transport, cities can provide more flexible and convenient options for commuters, reduce waiting times, fill the gaps in transit coverage, and streamline ticketing. These partnerships can help alleviate congestion by encouraging shared rides and reducing dependence on private vehicles.
In 2022, FREENOW became the first private mobility provider in Germany to integrate regional public transport services into its app, in partnership with Rheinbahn. This collaboration includes Europe’s largest transport network and transit area, covering major German cities like Düsseldorf and Dortmund. Through this integration, FREENOW is the only private mobility provider to offer and sell the Deutschland ticket, which gives access to all public transport across Germany. In the first weeks after public transport integration, 54% of new ticket buyers on FREENOW were existing users, while 46% were new to the platform. Two months after launching the Deutschland ticket, 75% of FREENOW’s existing users were also using other mobility services on the platform.
This demonstrates that the ultimate goal is to increase public transport usage. It is crucial to offer as many opportunities and as much access as possible for people to use public transport, rather than controlling how they purchase tickets. Platforms like FREENOW add value by offering a seamless user experience, bringing together multiple mobility solutions in one place.
This allows users to make more efficient and sustainable transport choices by seeing all the nearest available options in their app. Another advantage of integrating public transport with MaaS platforms is that it provides a consistent experience for users across Europe, making it especially convenient when travelling to a new city.
Data sharing with cities
Coverage level for taxi’s in Valencia
FREENOW
Enhancing data-driven decision-making and urban planning is another area where cities can benefit from cooperation with MaaS platforms—these collect extensive data on travel patterns, which is invaluable for city planners. By sharing this data, cities can gain insights into traffic flow, peak usage times, and areas with high demand for transport services. This information can inform infrastructure development, optimise transit routes, and improve traffic management. However, it is crucial to establish a data-sharing framework that balances the public benefit of data-sharing with the protection of proprietary business information.
One tool FREENOW uses in its dialogue with the cities is a coverage heat map, which shows taxi or multimodal demand in specific areas or during certain timeframes. This tool helps justify the need for improvements, such as increasing the frequency of public transport or adding more taxi lanes. In cities like Barcelona, Valencia, and Alicante, it has been an essential element in conversations with city officials.
FREENOW also advocates for taxi frameworks that protect both drivers and passengers and proactively provides insights into potential regulatory changes at the city level. For example, in discussions with the City of London, which controls access for Black Cabs in certain areas, FREENOW shared data to demonstrate that these restrictions were affecting passengers, particularly vulnerable ones.
FREENOW’s collaboration with the National Technical University of Athens and the city of Penteli (Greater Athens Area), as part of the Seamless Urban Mobility (SUM) European-wide project, highlights the transformative power of partnerships between the public and private sectors, based on both integrations and data sharing.
The Penteli Living Lab is a key initiative aimed at integrating shared vehicles with public transport, creating adaptable urban spaces, and co-creating efficient mobility solutions. This project tackles critical sustainability challenges by enhancing pedestrian safety, reducing congestion, and increasing green spaces, thereby minimising pollutants.
As part of this project, FREENOW integrates municipal e-bikes into its platform in Greece, as well as collaborates with the city of Penteli and the National Technical University to share passenger mobility data and user survey findings. This helps shape a local bike-sharing scheme, that complements public transport. The Penteli Living Lab showcases the transformative potential of shared mobility, setting a benchmark for cities worldwide to follow.
By fostering collaboration, innovation, and user-centric design, FREENOW is building urban environments that not only meet the needs of today but also address the challenges of tomorrow. Partnerships with mobility platforms can support sustainability goals by promoting electric vehicles and other eco-friendly transport options, helping to reduce carbon emissions and promote greener urban environments.
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About the authors:
Alexander Bräutigam, Head of Partnerships, FREENOW. Bräutigam works as Global Head of Partnerships at FREENOW and has played a key role in developing the FREENOW app into a multimodal mobility platform by securing partnerships to offer the services of leading shared mobility providers via FREENOW, including the Deutschlandticket. Bräutigam is based in FREENOW’s Barcelona office.
Enzo Romoli, Head of EU Affairs, FREENOW. Romoli is the Head of EU Affairs at FREENOW and has over 8 years of experience in transport and sustainability. He is committed to advancing sustainable practices and innovation such as FREENOW in urban transport. He previously worked at SNCF on rail topics. He is based in Brussels.
FREENOW