The Dutch MaaS (Mobility as a Service) app Umob, which brings together different forms of public transport, taxis and shared mobility in one platform, is further expanding its reach in Europe.
From now on, users in Belgium, France and Spain can also use the innovative mobility solution. This is partly due to the addition of major shared transport providers such as BAQME, BIRD, Bolt and Cooltra. This expansion underlines Umob's ambition to become the largest mobility platform in Europe and to support the mobility transition in urban areas.
Umob offers a user-friendly solution for people who want to use different means of transport without having to switch between different apps from providers. Whether it is booking a train journey, renting a scooter or calling a taxi, with Umob everything can be arranged via one app. This makes the platform an attractive option for cities that struggle with mobility issues such as parking pressure, high car ownership costs and achieving sustainability goals. Especially in large urban areas where the pressure on the road network is increasing, a platform like Umob seems to be a solution.
tenders
Recently, Umob won important tenders in cities such as The Hague and Utrecht. The municipality of The Hague started the collaboration with Umob to offer efficient, affordable and accessible transport solutions to all its residents. The app offers a wide range of transport options that are quickly and easily available, without the need for users to install multiple apps. This is an important step in the mobility transition of the city. In Utrecht, Umob works closely with the province and municipalities such as Amersfoort to tackle mobility challenges via the app. In this tender, Umob emerged as the best MaaS provider after a qualitative assessment.
The demand for MaaS solutions is growing rapidly internationally, and Umob plays smart on that. The expansion to Belgium, France and Spain marks an important milestone for the Rotterdam startup. The collaboration with companies such as BAQME, IBRD, Bolt en cooltra, which recently merged with Cityscoot and Felyx, enables Umob to grow rapidly. These transport providers offer a wide range of shared mobility options, such as scooters, bikes and shared cars, giving Umob users even more choice in the way they travel.
“A successful mobility offering has two key ingredients: sufficient options and ease of use,” says Bibi Jorissen, co-founder of Umob. “Not everyone lives within walking distance of a train or bus station, and sometimes it’s just more convenient to go by bike. When you arrive in a new city as a tourist, you don’t want to have to figure out which app to download for which mode of transport. With Umob, you don’t have to think about that anymore. Everything you need is in one app.”
The strength of Umob lies in the scalability of the platform. Because Umob does not manage the means of transport itself, the company can fully focus on optimizing the mobility experience for users and collaborating with mobility providers. Raymon Pouwels, co-founder of Umob, explains: “We are the connecting factor between governments, municipalities and mobility providers. Together we look at the mobility challenges in different regions and use data to find solutions. By focusing on the needs of the user, mobility providers can improve their operations.”
ambition
Umob’s ambition is clear: with the acquisition of MaaS Global earlier this year, which has a decade of experience in MaaS technology, Umob now has the infrastructure to rapidly expand into several European countries. The aim is to grow to a fleet of 500.000 vehicles in Europe within a few months, ranging from shared cars and scooters to bikes and taxis.
The future looks bright for Umob. With a strong focus on sustainability, convenience and improving urban mobility, the company seems well positioned to become a major player in the European mobility market. As cities increasingly turn to MaaS solutions to solve their mobility problems, Umob seems poised to play a leading role in this revolution.
