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Reading: UK’s ‘most ambitious’ on-demand ridesharing service
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routeone > Bus > UK’s ‘most ambitious’ on-demand ridesharing service
BusBus routes

UK’s ‘most ambitious’ on-demand ridesharing service

Tim Deakin
Tim Deakin
Published: September 7, 2018
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The launch of Go-Ahead’s PickMeUp vehicle, using a mobile app in east and south Oxford, is being boosted with free journeys during Catch the Bus Week (CTBW).

Using six 17-seat Sprinter minibuses, costing c£100,000 each, Oxford Bus Company promises high-quality rides from its £850,000 investment thanks to free Wi-Fi, USB ports, wheelchair access and high-back seating.

Now, Oxford employers are being offered packages providing discounted travel for staff. alt=”” src=”https://www.route-one.net/wp-content/uploads/Pick_Me_Up_2.jpg” style=”float:right” />

People in a 12.2 square mile area around Oxford request a bus pick-up within minutes at a virtual bus stop using a new mobile phone app, passengers can choose the start and finish point of any journey within the zone around the Eastern Arc.

The area includes the railway station, Thornhill and Redbridge Park & Ride sites, the Science Park, Oxford Business Park, the John Radcliffe, Churchill and NOC hospitals, University Science Area and Brookes University. 

Cheaper than a taxi, PickMeUp operates 0600-2300hrs weekdays, 0830-1930hrs Saturdays and 0830-1900hrs on Sundays, with an expected average response time of around 10 minutes.

An introductory fare of £2.50 per journey will be charged, with a surcharge of £2.50 if the journey could be made via an existing Oxford Bus Company bus route and your walk is 200 metres or less. Multi-journey passes will be available as well as corporate packages.

Phil Southall, Oxford Bus Company Managing Director, said: “Local people have made it clear to us that they are open to alternatives to using their cars – but whilst our existing services are excellent at providing radial routes into the city centre I am continually told that orbital connectivity ‘around the ring road’ is missing for those who wish to give up their car when travelling to sites in the Eastern Arc.

“Our new PickMeUp service provides this new connectivity and is a new idea in transport, using the very latest mapping and aggregation technology, and it’s got the potential to be part of the solution in tackling air quality and traffic congestion in many towns and cities.”

The front-end and back-end technology for the service was developed in partnership with Via, a US based marketing leader in ride-sharing technology. The app will enable passengers to request a pick up and the mini-bus will go to the nearest safe pick up point. Journeys will be matched with others wishing to make similar journeys to enable ride sharing. 

Go-Ahead Group’s Chief Executive David Brown said: “PickMeUp is the latest step in Go Ahead’s vision of taking care of customer journeys. We are always looking at ways to better understand and meet customer needs in the future through technology and innovation. We look forward to seeing how this develops and whether it can be rolled out across the UK in the future.”

Via Co-Founder and CEO Daniel Ramot said: “Via's powerful technology is seamlessly integrating with public transit infrastructure around the globe, redefining the way people get around cities. We're delighted to join forces with Go-Ahead to launch this groundbreaking on-demand service in Oxford, providing residents with a convenient, affordable, and congestion-reducing dynamic transportation alternative.” 

Via is re-engineering public transit, from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Via’s mobile app connects multiple passengers who are headed the same way, allowing riders to seamlessly share a dynamically-routed vehicle. First launched in New York City in September 2013, the Via platform operates in New York City, Chicago, and Washington DC, and in London and Amsterdam through ViaVan, its joint venture with Mercedes-Benz Vans. Via also licenses its revolutionary on-demand transit technology to transportation players globally.

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ByTim Deakin
Tim is Editor of routeone and has worked in both the coach and bus and haulage industries.
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