Dive Brief:
- Urban navigation app Citymapper is introducing a bundled payment card in London that will offer users access to public transit, a bike-share network and rides on Citymapper’s ride-hailing service. The Citymapper Pass will also integrate with Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Wired reports that the pass will have two weekly subscription packages. For 30 pounds ($39), customers can use the pass on the London transit network’s zones 1 and 2 (a roughly 5-pound discount over the current fare). For 40 pounds ($52), the pass will include unlimited rides on the Santander docked bike-share and two Citymapper rides.
- Citymapper promises additional services will be added and says it wants the pass to work globally "so that users do not ever have to worry about how to use a foreign public transport system, they can just check a route and go."
Dive Insight:
Citymapper is the latest transportation company to branch out into a broader Mobility as a Service (MaaS) venture. Citymapper already offers end-to-end directions including a variety of mobility options, last year adding dockless bike-share services like Mobike and Ofo where available. Now the Citymapper Pass will make it effectively a one-stop shop for directions and payment (users of the pass will also get a new dashboard on the app, but details have yet to be disclosed). Last year, the company also branched into microtransit with its ride-hailing service, designed to complement public transit.
It’s similar to Uber and Lyft’s rapid expansion into dockless mobility services like bikes and scooters, which are available for rental through each company’s app. Both have also been integrating public transit information into their app.
This is also a significant step for Transport for London, which is a Citymapper partner but told Wired it will not see a financial hit from the discounted subscription. A report released last week by KPMG said that transit agencies needed to embrace partnerships with other mobility services, including drawing on their data, in order to reverse a decline in ridership. Agencies like the Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Bay Area Rapid Transit are working on MaaS apps that will include information on multiple services, and could eventually integrate all-in-one payment options.
The bundled payment cards could also eventually be issued by cities themselves, as many have looked to municipal ID cards as alternatives for unbanked residents. Oakland, CA and New York City are among those that have put finance information on their ID cards, which could be used for transit fares and other services.