The partnership of Vay and ioki allows teledrive technology to deliver on-demand, cost-efficient, and digital mobility services. Users request a vehicle via the app. A teledriven car, operated by a specially trained teledriver from a teledrive centre, arrives shortly after. The ioki Platform’s algorithm calculates the route, facilitates ridepooling, and serves as the booking interface for users. For the first time users will be transported by a teledriven on-demand service in public transport.
“I am convinced that teledriving is a promising key technology to gradually introduce driverless public transportation. With Vay, we have a strong partner who shares our vision of a driverless mobility integrated into everyday life. We want to make a positive and short-term contribution to the currently acute driver shortage issues in Germany and Europe by using more digitisation and technology in public transport”, says Michael Barillère-Scholz, CEO and Co-founder of ioki GmbH.
Shortly after booking a vehicle, the customers will be picked up and driven to their desired destination. Whether users ride in a regular vehicle or a teledriven vehicle is individually decided by the ioki algorithm. In perspective, it could supplement existing on-demand transport, thus avoiding empty runs. This would lower costs and simultaneously increase the availability of local transport.
“With our unique door-to-door mobility service enabled by our teledrive technology we want to create an affordable and convenient alternative for transportation in metropolitan areas. ioki’s innovative platform solution accelerates the introduction of our sustainable and efficient mobility services for public transport. Together, we work towards our goal of significantly reducing the number of privately owned cars in cities”, says Fabrizio Scelsi, Co-founder & CTO of Vay.
Vay and ioki are currently in contact with interested transport companies to test the link between on-demand and teledriven technology. The first pilot projects could start next year.
