MaaS Global Gets Much-Needed Funding, as It Continues to Navigate Difficult Mobility-as-a-Service Market
The CEO of MaaS Global, developer of the pioneering mobility-as-a-service app Whim, said the company’s latest capital infusion of €11 million (US$12.9 million), will help the start-up expand into a “selected markets” and provide capital for continuing operations.
Masabi Seeks to Expand Beyond Mobile Ticketing and to Sign Up Large Agencies, Stoking More Competition with Suppliers Like Cubic
UK-based software-as-a-service ticketing provider Masabi said it is targeting large transit agencies in the U.S. and beyond, seeking to sell the agencies on plugging into its SaaS platform rather than building what Masabi contends are expensive and often protracted bespoke fare-collection systems, the vendor told Mobility Payments.
Australia’s Transport for New South Wales Sees ‘Significant Increase’ in Use of Mobile Wallets by Riders
Mobile wallets now make up more than half of all contactless payments for Transport for New South Wales, Australia’s largest transit agency, the agency confirmed to Mobility Payments.
Demand Growing for Tap On/Tap Off Fare Payments on UK Buses
More UK bus operators outside of London are expanding their contactless open-loop payments services to enable customers to tap on when they board and tap off at their desired stops, helping to save riders money and collect more data for operators
Cubic’s MaaS Point Man: Control of MaaS Apps by VC-Funded Start-Ups Coming to an End; Whim App Chief: Not So Fast
Andy Taylor, senior director, global strategy for Cubic Transportation Systems contended that the MaaS market is at a crossroads and could fail if it doesn’t change course, including putting cities and public agencies firmly in the “driving seat” of MaaS apps.
WMATA in D.C. Rolling Out New Terminals but has No Immediate Plans to Support Open Loop
The Washington (D.C.) Metropolitan Area Transit Authority last month started to replace 1,200 aging faregates for its 91-station metro system and starting next year will do the same with 20-plus year-old fareboxes on board 1,500 buses, including upgraded readers for its closed-loop SmarTrip cards.
MaaS Global CEO: Transit Agencies Should Not Control MaaS Platforms
Sampo Hietanen, founder and CEO of Finland-based MaaS Global agrees with most other industry experts that public transit should form the “core” of the mobility services on offer in any mobility-as-a-service app or platform. But he contends that it would be a mistake for the agency itself to run the platform, which Cubic Transportation Systems and some transit authorities have suggested.
Interest Growing in Open-Loop Payments in California, Says Cal-ITP
California transportation officials are hearing strong demand among transit agencies in the state to move to open-loop payments, a person handling communications for the state Department of Transportation’s California’s Integrated Travel Project, or Cal-ITP, which is helping agencies procure the fare-collection technology, told Mobility Payments.
Case Study: Ohio Transit Agency Nears Goal of Ridding Vehicles of Cash
(Updated case study): The chief customer and business development officer for the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority in the U.S. told Mobility Payments that a phased approach in rolling out electronic payments and quick customer adoption has enabled the agency to get close to its goal of eliminating cash on board its vehicles.
Trip-Planning App Transit Touts Ticketing Sales, though Results Vary by Agency
The trip-planning Transit app announced that it has handled more than 1 million fare transactions since April 2019, when it started enabling ticketing and payments through its app. Although ticketing through third-party apps still make up a small percentage of fare payments for agencies, Transit says the transactions are growing rapidly.