Just six months after app-based Vamooz ran its first crowd-funded trip, its creator Transdev Blazefield has revealed ambitious plans for full UK-wide coverage.
It will achieve this by signing up partners, who will have exclusive rights in their region.
The app offers people a choice of trips – with prices that reduce as each ticket is booked – as well as the opportunity to suggest their own trips.
The news comes as Aintree-based PeoplesBus is the second partner to join the network, giving it exclusivity to use the brand in the area making it the face of Vamooz for Liverpool and the surrounding area.
Reading Buses became a partner in the summer, joining the Transdev’s Lancashire and Yorkshire network.
Already the network has run hundreds of trips, with days out, parent-backed home-to-school runs and staff transport
Now, talks are underway with potential partners in Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, Nottingham, London and Brighton, but more operators across the country are welcome, says Vamooz Manager, Rebecca Reeve-Burnett.
Interest is especially high from coach operators who can see that the app gives them access to new markets, she says.
Data from Transdev’s Vamooz trips shows that 75% are new customers rather than existing bus users.
Adds Ms Reeve-Burnett: “PeoplesBus really impressed us with its ideas for how VaMooz could work on Merseyside.â€
Says PeoplesBus MD Andrew Cawley: “Being a part of this ground-breaking solution in our industry is an exciting and also brings great benefits to existing customers.â€
“We all know the challenges of our industry and need to innovate to meet them head-on.
“Vamooz does just that and is a great way to engage more people.â€
Details at www.GoVamooz.co.uk