The Munich Transport Company (MVG) is further expanding individual public transport in Munich: As a complement to the subway, trams, buses, MVG bikes, and car sharing, the municipal mobility provider will launch the MVG IsarTiger starting in mid-June. For this, it is cooperating with a startup from the capital.
MVG is launching the on-demand service MVG IsarTiger in Munich together with its technology partner door2door from Berlin. Gas-powered VW Caddys will be used as vehicles, initially as part of a pilot project in a test area between the city center and western Munich.
Reach your destination via app
The MVG IsarTiger is a new ridesharing offering – a flexible mobility service that can be requested according to personal needs. Customers use their smartphone to book a ride with the MVG IsarTiger app. Passengers and vehicles that are optimally suited to each other are paired together in no time. There are no fixed routes or timetables. The exact route is determined by an algorithm, taking into account bookings from other customers, so that customers share rides and the vehicles are optimally utilized.
The software solution for the MVG IsarTiger is provided by the Berlin-based technology company door2door. This enables the MVG to operate the ridesharing service itself and complement its existing mobility offerings.
“Great development potential”
Ingo Wortmann, Chairman of the MVG Management Board:
"On-demand services aren't a new idea in principle. Flexible operating concepts such as dial-a-ride taxis and dial-a-buses have existed and continue to exist in public transport nationwide. However, new opportunities are emerging through ordering and processing via apps. We see great development potential here."
And further:
"With on-demand solutions, the passenger is in charge. They order customized mobility with their smartphone, instead of having to rely on a timetable and route. Such on-demand services complete the journey from A to B in the city. They also close gaps that traditional public transport cannot fill, thus representing an important step for MVG on its path to becoming the integrated mobility service provider for the state capital of Munich."
Use fewer cars more effectively
The MVG IsarTiger is also intended to appeal to drivers who are not currently regular users of traditional public transport, chauffeuring them safely, comfortably, and in an environmentally friendly manner through the city. On average, each car is parked for almost 23 hours a day. Service-on-demand, on the other hand, relies on clever digital solutions to optimize vehicle usage. The long-term goal: fewer cars, which are better shared and ultimately more cost-effective – a contribution to a better quality of life in a smartly organized city.
“As one of the first metropolises in Europe, Munich is bringing a dynamic on-demand rideshare service to the streets, demonstrating how public transport can be expanded with smart, demand-oriented services,”
so Dr. Tom Kirschbaum, founder and managing director of door2door.
"We are pleased that MVG is offering this new form of local transport with the help of our technology and that together we are contributing to sustainably reducing traffic in the city and improving the quality of life of its citizens."
