NETHERLANDS: The RiVier joint venture of national rail operator NS and urban operators HTM in Den Haag and RET in Rotterdam has selected Siemens Mobility subsidiaries Hacon and eos.uptrade to develop a country-wide Mobility as a Service platform.
Due for delivery later this year, the platform is intended to form an ‘open ecosystem’ that can be connected to existing NS, RET and HTM apps. The three organisations are also inviting other mobility providers to join the service, in order to provide users with as wide a range of options as possible ‘so that travelling by public transport, bicycle sharing, car, scooter, and taxi can be better connected and more convenient’.
Emphasising the sustainability and environmental benefits of encouraging greater use of public transport and shared mobility, the promoters hope that this will enable travellers to reduce their dependence on private cars and only use them ‘where it is of most added value’. As such, RiVier is keen to see as wide a range of mobility services being offered through its MaaS platform.
‘The pandemic is changing our behaviour’, commented RET Director Maurice Unck when the project was announced on February 22. ‘We work, learn and travel more flexibly: in time, place and choice of means of transport. That is why we are investing in the best travel options for consumers right now. We want to lower the threshold to easily plan, book and pay for a trip with multiple modes of transport.’
Under a contract to be signed shortly, the two Siemens Mobility subsidiaries will supply and support the technological core of the MaaS platform, including integrated travel planning and booking or payment functionality. The suppliers point out that the app would also enable the individual mobility providers to tailor their services to better meet the needs of travellers, while optimising their fleet management.
‘Creating the perfect passenger experience requires co-operation across the industry’, said Hacon CEO Michael Frankenberg, who is also Head of Intermodal Solutions at Siemens Mobility. ‘It is inspiring to see how NS, RET and HTM are joining forces to make the mobility landscape in the Netherlands even more attractive. We at Hacon and eos.uptrade are very proud to bring our know-how and solutions to this trail-blazing project.’
‘Smart applications that can integrate and co-ordinate different modes of transport makes the idea of seamless travel from the first mile to the last a reality’, added Andre Rodenbeck, Siemens Mobility CEO of Rail Infrastructure. ‘Having the ability to choose from the full spectrum of mobility options to plan, schedule and pay for trips, significantly improves the travel experience and enhances overall quality of life.’
