National Express West Midlands (NXWM) has joined up with ride-sharing giant Uber and London-based technology company Masabi to offer bus tickets directly through the Uber app.
The initiative is powered by Masabi’s Justride platform, which facilitates integration of ticketing options into the Uber app.
Users of the Uber app can now purchase NXWM bus tickets alongside their usual ride-hailing services. Customers can select a variety of ticket types including single, day and weekly passes, starting at £2 for a single journey.
Comments John Boughton, Commercial Director for National Express UK and Ireland: “This first-of-its-kind collaboration provides new and existing customers greater flexibility and choice by offering sustainable travel options, alongside great value fares.
“In 2022 we partnered with Uber to offer access to National Express coach bookings across the UK through the user-friendly Uber app. We are really pleased to be enhancing this partnership further by integrating National Express West Midlands tickets and making it easier to move around the West Midlands by bus.”
Andrew Brem, General Manager of Uber UK says: “We’re delighted to launch this new consumer product as it further extends Uber’s goal of helping riders go anywhere, be it by train, car, bike, coach, boat and now bus. The partnership with National Express West Midlands will help turn Uber into a one-stop-shop for our users across the region creating seamless multi-modal journeys in one simple in-app experience.”
Adds Brian Zanghi, CEO of Masabi: “Uber’s use of Masabi’s software development kit (SDK) allows agencies to offer passengers enhanced choices and seamlessly connects public and private modes. By integrating ticketing options into the Uber app service accessibility and flexibility are increased, ensuring an unparalleled passenger experience. Building upon the success of the NXWM mTicket app, we are excited to further develop our longstanding partnerships with NXWM and Uber, and to help deliver a better passenger experience for travellers across the region and beyond.”
The latest development builds on an ongoing partnership between NXWM and Masabi that began with the launch of the mTicket app in 2016, led to a student-focused smart ticketing scheme in 2018, cash digitisation in 2021 for ticket purchases at retail locations and what is believed to be the UK’s largest on-bus QR code mobile ticket scanning system in 2023.
