Only a few weeks after the integration of the taxi offer on FREENOW Business, the German application operator announces a new one. From now on, FREENOW will also offer public transport tickets. This news supports the German company’s status as a Super App that wants to offer as many transport alternatives as possible… Zoom on this news which already raises some debates…
A new public transport offer
We predicted it… We thought it was the logical next step for FREENOW… After the integration of the micromobility offer then taxi, the company is now integrating the public transport. This is a new important step for FREENOW which proves once again its position as a multimodal platform. The German app says that the collaboration with Düsseldorf’s Rheinbahn starts this week. Tickets for single journeys, day passes and 48-hour passes will then be available via the app. This applies to the entire tariff area of the Rhine-Ruhr Transport Association (VRR). Other fare zones are expected to follow soon, especially in the conurbations where FREENOW operates.
Our users in the Rhine-Ruhr (Germany) can now access buses, trams and metros, as well as taxis, ebicycles, eScooters and car-sharing, all in one app.
Thomas Zimmermann, CEO of Freenow
FREENOW a new threat?
For the first time, it is possible for German travelers to get tickets for their journeys from end to end, combining different modes of transport. Moreover, everything is done in one app. Although linking different transport offers seems essential to successfully transform mobility in Europe, with this new integration, FREENOW addresses a sensitive issue for the urban transport sector. Indeed, industry associations and some politicians have long criticized the confusion that exists across Germany with hundreds of different fare zones and transport companies, each with their own distribution channel.
There is still no single online platform for purchasing public transport tickets nationwide. The closest company to this requirement is Deutsche Bahn, which sells public transport tickets for many communities via the Navigator app. Otherwise, consumers have to download the applications of the companies concerned. This is the gap that FREENOW wants to close.
Most companies and associations have their own digital offer. However, it is limited to the regional level and usually only includes public transport – no other mobility offers.
Zimmermann, ceo of FREENOW
The main objective of the Super App is to facilitate access to public transport. The CEO says: “That is why we call, not to see ourselves as competitors, but as a possibility to enlarge the access to the transport offer”.
