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Request public transport with the app: minibuses now pass through Zurich on demand
From now on, minibuses can be ordered in Zurich using the app. The pilot project is an extension of the VBZ public transport system and is intended to make supply more flexible. Taxi drivers are not happy.
Anyone with a VBZ ticket in Zurich can now use other means of transport besides the bus, train, boat and tram. “Pikmi” is the name of the new public transport offer and is intended to be a kind of Uber for buses. Passengers can request a five-seater Mercedes minibus through the app or a phone call and it will then direct them to the desired address.
At the moment, however, Pikmi buses only run between 20:00 and midnight in the Albisrieden and Altstetten neighborhoods and at the intersection of Triemli and Hardbrücke. In addition to the existing public transport stops, around 150 new virtual stops will be defined in this test area. Of these, passengers can request a Pikmi bus. The minibus should arrive in seven to ten minutes and announce the destination. Travel requests with similar travel destinations are automatically grouped by the system and summarized in the same vehicle. The bus constantly calculates the best route to get as many people as possible from A to B. The system also takes into account transfer options to existing public transport lines.
Unlike regular public transport with regular service, Pikmi does not operate on predefined routes or according to a fixed schedule, but “on demand”, that is, on request. VBZ presented its new offering at a press conference on Tuesday. City councilor Michael Baumer, who was present, said according to the “Tages-Anzeiger”: “The VBZ network should be more flexible, especially with regard to the last mile, the good distribution in the neighborhood.” The corona pandemic in particular has shown that public transportation must be flexible in order to adapt to changing usage patterns. An 18-month pilot operation should show whether such an “on-demand” offering can attract new customers.
The Zurich City Council approved 2.9 million francs for the project in June 2019. The technology and application come from Viavan, a European company that offers carpool services in several large cities, including London and Berlin.
To keep the Pikmi buses from stopping during the day, the VBZ works with the car-sharing company Mobility. Mobility customers can rent the buses normally until 8pm until they are picked up by the VBZ drivers in the evening. It is also associated with the Disabled Transport Foundation Zurich. Consequently, people in wheelchairs can also use the offer.
The only ones who do not enjoy the new offer are taxi drivers. As the “Tages-Anzeiger” writes, they were irritated by the new competition. The industry feels it is being ignored and wonders why it was not included in the project. Councilor Baumer said Pikmi should not compete with taxis, but rather make the neighborhood bus more flexible.
(he)
