Until now, there has been no mobile application that brings together transport operators and networks across Germany, connects them with ride-sharing providers and enables the mutual sale of tickets. This challenge was recognised and taken up by many stakeholders in the public transport sector. To this end, Mobility inside was founded and a mobile solution was developed with the support of iteratec.
Since its launch in April 2022, the app – designed as a white-label solution – has already been adapted by nine regional transport operators and made available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It is being rolled out continuously, with the aim of enabling all transport operators to participate. The national Deutschlandticket app also runs on the basis of this mobile solution.
Thanks to Mobility inside, it is now possible to travel from Frankfurt Central Station to Landshut using just one app, including local car-sharing services. This marks the first time that a comprehensive regional mobility offering has been bundled into a nationwide application.
Commuters often use several different apps across the transport networks they travel on via public transport. This is a sign that the nearly 130 transport associations often operate in a fragmented manner. However, for the transition in local public transport to succeed, simple services are needed to ensure seamless mobility – even beyond the boundaries of local public transport. Many local public transport providers have joined forces as initiators to make this possible, including the Rhine-Main Transport Association, Stadtwerke München and Deutsche Bahn. They are funded by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport.
Achieving the ambitious goal of mapping the entire mobility offering without creating a service that competes with the transport associations requires many partners. We at iteratec joined the project at an early stage to support its launch and continued to assist as an IT partner throughout the project.
With extensive experience in agile software development projects, we were able to contribute our expertise in a variety of ways, including setting up
Particularly during the set-up phase, it was important for us to develop the processes and system architecture as effectively as possible right from the start, in order to create a robust foundation for our white-label apps. This is where iteratec made a real contribution for us. As a reliable partner with highly competent staff and industry experience, we were able to realise the project for a seamless, cross-network mobility solution for Germany.
Embracing the major challenges of digitalisation and recognising them as opportunities – the founders of Mobility inside have demonstrated this foresight, thereby distinguishing themselves as digital champions in our eyes. As the app becomes more widely used, seamless local transport will become a reality and more appealing to all passengers.
The key feature of the mobile application, which had to be taken into account during the course of the project, is that each regional transport operator receives the app as a white-label solution and can offer it to passengers themselves under their own branding. This also means that technical support is managed centrally for all operators by Mobility inside Plattform GmbH. As a result, the application always meets the highest standards across all providers.
Just one app for all journeys by bus, train and sharing services – across the whole of Germany: that is the aim of the industry-wide networking project Mobility inside. A digital platform links timetable information, fares and payment processing. Passengers benefit from ‘information, booking and payment’ all in one place: with Mobility inside, they can access connection information for buses, trains and sharing services – such as bike and car-sharing schemes – across Germany, and book and pay for these directly from the app. This eliminates the hassle of installing several separate provider apps.
The first version of Mobility inside has been available in app stores since April 2022. It offers journeys at standard fares on public transport in the participating regions, as well as multimodal routing incorporating shared transport options (bikes, scooters, cars). This version will be gradually expanded to include additional functions and partners (including DB local and long-distance fares) and will eventually be rolled out across the entire public transport and mobility sector.
Within the project, Stadtwerke München is primarily responsible for routing, i.e. journey planning. The RMV provides the back-end system for issuing tickets and processing payments, whilst the DB subsidiary Mobimeo contributes its expertise in designing the apps’ user interface and interface technology.
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