ViaVan deploy ride sharing service to reduce London congestion

ViaVan, the joint venture between Via and Mercedes-Benz Vans, has launched a ride-sharing service in London that aims to reduce congestion and emissions by grouping app-users travelling in the same direction into one vehicle. Additionally, the company intends to offer a more affordable alternative than private car services between the capital’s zones one and two. It is now offering trips costing £3 ($2.14) for a limited period. Through the app, users select their pick up and drop off location and
April 6, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

8734 ViaVan, the joint venture between Via and Mercedes-Benz Vans, has launched a ride-sharing service in London that aims to reduce congestion and emissions by grouping app-users travelling in the same direction into one vehicle.

Additionally, the company intends to offer a more affordable alternative than private car services between the capital’s zones one and two. It is now offering trips costing £3 ($2.14) for a limited period.

Through the app, users select their pick up and drop off location and confirm their ride. The technology directs passengers to a virtual bus stop to start or finish their journey with the intention of enabling quick and efficient shared trips without lengthy detours.

The service is powered by Via’s dynamic ride-pooling technology which is said to have provided more than 30 million shared rides globally in countries such as Australia to California. London is the second city to trial ViaVan following an initial deployment in Amsterdam last month, according to the company. 

Luca Parducci, general manager of ViaVan London, said: "Londoners are amongst the savviest of consumers, always looking for the right mix of quality, cost, convenience, and social impact. Unlike competitors' pooling solutions, we're confident that ViaVan will be a huge hit - a comfortable and convenient way to get around that you can feel good about."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • How technology is propelling the development of urban shared transport
    April 11, 2024
    Over 18 million people use ride-hailing apps in the UK alone, says Mariusz Zabrocki of Freenow
    Read More
  • The growth of ITS service solutions providers
    July 26, 2012
    Econolite's new subsidiary Aegis ITS has been set up to address the increasingly complex and exacting needs of agencies in the ITS sector. Chief Operating Officer Doug Terry talks about the evolution to service solution provider. A few very notable and honourable exceptions notwithstanding, it is these days becoming increasingly rare to find a public agency which develops its own traffic management systems. Indeed, most now rely on specialist manufacturers and suppliers to fulfil their needs. This has the h
    Read More
  • Switching Atlanta onto MaaS
    May 9, 2019
    It’s easy to talk about MaaS in the abstract – but MaaS isn’t going to work if it’s just a theory. Colin Sowman speaks to one woman about the practical benefits - and difficulties - of getting out of her car and switching to public transit in Atlanta, Georgia One of the first goals of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) inventor Sampo Hietanen is that MaaS should persuade households they don’t need a second car. This is starting to happen - even in the car-dominated US. Last year, authorities in the state of Ge
    Read More
  • Lyft, Uber have mixed impact on San Fran mobility
    May 14, 2018
    The extent to which ride-hailing has become a real force in the mobility landscape of San Francisco is great for consumers – but there are downsides, a report finds. Andrew Stone takes a look. Uber and Lyft, the two major ride-hailing platforms in San Francisco, are out-competing local cab firms in many ways - and are firmly established as a significant part of the daily mobility mix there, a recent study reveals. Researchers mined publicly-available data derived from the application programming interface
    Read More

Highlighted Content