Cooperation between ioki and VHH – Bookable with the “ioki Hamburg App” – Complete integration into the HVV tariff – New barrier-free electric vehicles on flexible routes on the road

An individual shuttle service starts in Hamburg, which can be ordered via app and takes passengers to their destination on flexible routes. This service is particularly attractive because it is integrated into local public transport and can be used easily with an HVV ticket. Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein GmbH (VHH) is bringing the new service together with ioki, Deutsche Bahn’s business unit for intelligent on-demand mobility, to the districts of Lurup and Osdorf.

The “ioki Hamburg” shuttle, which was developed as part of the Smart City partnership with the City of Hamburg, is a new public transport system in the Hamburg Transport Association (HVV) without fixed timetable or routes, which is fully integrated into the HVV fare system. The ride is possible with all time and single tickets of the HVV, so that users do not incur any additional costs. With the help of an algorithm, passengers with similar routes are automatically bundled into car pools and transported together. The new service can be booked via the “ioki Hamburg App” and can be used during the launch phase from Monday to Friday between four in the morning and one at night. From August 8, “ioki Hamburg” will be available 24/7. The journey can be from any address in the service area to a stop or vice versa. In the operating area, additional stopping points are set up at intervals of no more than 200 metres for optimum area coverage. In this way, the existing public transport system is usefully supplemented.

The new range uses state-of-the-art, emission-free electric cars from the British manufacturer LEVC. The vehicles have six seats and are also barrier-free: wheelchair users can enter via ramp. Strollers can also be transported comfortably. Thanks to sophisticated data analysis (Mobility Analytics), ioki determined in advance where Hamburg needs this offer and how many vehicles are needed to cover it. As a full-service provider for modern mobility solutions, ioki enables third parties – such as the VHH – to offer needs-oriented mobility concepts and to strengthen public transport.

“In a good three years’ time, the World Congress for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) will take place in Hamburg. Until then, more and more projects will become visible in the cityscape that underline our path of becoming a model city for modern mobility. The ioki service launched today is a good example of this: it keeps people environmentally friendly, uses the opportunities of digitalisation and strengthens public transport,” says Frank Horch, Senator for Economics, Transport and Innovation of the City of Hamburg.

“More mobility with less traffic: We want to make this possible with our new on-demand service ‘ioki Hamburg’. The shuttle offers a comfortable connection to the existing public transport system. This eliminates the need to drive your own car,” says Berthold Huber, board member for Passenger Transport at Deutsche Bahn.

“We are delighted to be able to offer our passengers in Lurup and Osdorf a new and innovative transport service with the ‘ioki Hamburg’ shuttle. Thanks to the integration into the HVV tariff system, anyone who wants to get from A to B in a cost-effective, flexible and convenient way is basically addressed: families, students, commuters, seniors”, says Jan Görnemann, Managing Director of VHH.

Note for editorial offices:
More photos of the new service can be found at www.deutschebahn.com/db-mediaportal.

Source: DB press release