Arriva has announced a partnership with Moovit that will facilitate a national Mobility as a Service (MaaS) launch in The Netherlands. The new ‘glimble’ app, powered by Moovit, enables travelers to enjoy a smart mobility experience where they can plan, pay and ride with any public transport operator, shared transport or micromobility provider for the first time.
Previously, paying for public transport required travelers to own the ov-chipkaart contactless card. Drivers were not allowed to accept cash payments on buses for paper tickets or from riders waiting to top-up their ov-chipkaart. In addition, after boarding the bus, some riders discovered that they did not have enough credits left and had to deboard, walk to a machine to top up their ov-chipkaart, and wait for the next bus. Glimble changes all of that.
Glimble users can now get around The Netherlands more conveniently and efficiently. The comprehensive MaaS app provides users with the ability to use mobile payment for all public and shared transport countrywide. It also provides real-time arrival information so they know exactly when their bus or train is arriving, a Live Directions feature with Get Off Alerts to provide step-by-step guidance for the entire journey, and Service Alerts so they can avoid disruptions on usual lines.
The Arriva and Moovit initiative significantly reduces the friction of paying for transport. glimble users can validate rides with a single tap and scan of a QR code, as opposed to having to buy and top-up a contactless card in advance, and fear losing or forgetting it. Users can even book, pay and unlock micromobility rides with operators such as Arriva B&G, Hopperpoint, and Urbee straight from the glimble app, with more micromobility options to be added soon.
Tapping into Moovit’s technology, glimble combines official information from all Dutch transport agencies, as well as crowdsourced information to calculate the best route for each journey with urban mobility options like bus, rail, tram, underground, ferry, taxi, Uber, carsharing, scooters, and bikes. Users can sort glimble’s suggested routes via cost of the journey or by the total level of CO2.
Glimble also incorporates accessibility features, empowering people across the disability spectrum to use public transportation with more assurance. The app is optimized with screen-reading features for low vision users, including talkback/voiceover capabilities. It also identifies wheelchair-accessible routes and stations, and calculates step-free routes. glimble is also designed with optimized menus and buttons for those with hand-motor disabilities.
“In a world where everyone is constantly on the move, where connectivity and accessibility are essential, you have to be flexible and nimble,” says Anne Hettinga, managing director at Arriva Nederland. “So, in line with our aim to become the leading mobility supplier, we created glimble by Arriva — an app that offers all mobility solutions and allows you to tailor them to your personal preferences.”
“We know that making transport journeys more convenient, accessible and frictionless increases rider satisfaction and ultimately their loyal ridership,” says Nir Erez, co-founder and CEO of Moovit. “This is the second time we are able to launch Mobility as a Service on a national scale, and we are honored to work with Arriva on providing Dutch citizens with everything they need to get around more conveniently.”
As part of this partnership, Moovit is also providing Arriva with a web-based employer portal, enabling companies and organizations to provide their employees with budgets for commute, business and private trips through glimble. Employers can view historical business trips of each employee, and can view and allocate additional funds to employees if they wish.
In this initial release, glimble will be available in The Netherlands, and will soon expand to include Belgium and parts of Germany to make cross-border journey planning and payment more efficient.
