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ioki, Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) business unit for intelligent on-demand mobility, and Telekom are cooperating: Since May 11, employees of the DAX-listed company and the largest telecommunications provider in Europe have been using a new app to book their trip in the Telekom Shuttle whenever they need to be mobile – still free of charge, completely individually and from now on without predetermined departure times. During the journey, other passengers with similar destinations will board the shuttle. These ridepools allow vehicles to be used to their full capacity, while at the same time relieving the roads and thus the environment. Push messages inform passengers when their shuttle arrives and how long the journey will take.
The on-demand shuttle service connects important traffic hubs such as airports and ICE train stations with Telekom locations in Bonn, Darmstadt and Frankfurt. The service offers home office returnees a flexible, safe and demand-responsive mobility solution that is both efficient and sustainable. The pilot project, in which ioki provides the smart on-demand platform – consisting of a passenger app, driver app and administration tool – is initially scheduled to run for six months and will be extended if successful.
The Telekom Shuttle service has been a very successful mobility offer for business trips for more than ten years. Every year, around 120,000 passengers use the previously line-based service, which can now do without static schedules thanks to the intelligent ioki algorithm. Users also benefit from the demand-responsive ad hoc booking function.
“With this innovation we are laying a further building block for our strategy – sustainable and guaranteed mobility for all employees,” says Dr. Olga Nevska, Managing Director Telekom MobilitySolutions (TMS). “Nobody should have to worry about how he or she gets from one location to another. With our new on-demand service, we ensure just that. By adjusting the size of the vehicle and the number of seats according to demand, we are able to plan our deployment efficiently. In addition, shuttles suitable for wheelchairs can also be requested, for instance.”
The booking is made very conveniently via smartphone app. Thanks to the digital application, even the stricter hygiene rules due to the coronavirus can be implemented without any problems. The app currently automatically limits the number of passengers per shuttle to a maximum of three. In addition, masks are mandatory.
“The current situation subjects our understanding of freedom of movement and mobility to critical reflection. However, the call for sustainable and efficient alternatives does not fade away even now. We are delighted to be able to support Deutsche Telekom as the technology provider and offer home office returnees a flexible, secure and demand-responsive mobility solution with this service. Such a reliable constant is needed in times like these,” adds ioki CEO Dr. Michael Barillère-Scholz.
Telekom is the first DAX-listed company to offer such an on-demand mobility service. In addition, Deutsche Telekom employees have access to electric vehicles from the Group’s own car-sharing fleet, e-scooters and pool bikes, amongst others. Expansion of the service to include commuters, for example, is continually being examined with a view to economic efficiency.
