The New Revolution in how we move
Mobile Apps are invading our phones and our lives. Nowadays, you can find Apps for almost anything, some of which are very useful and some, totally pointless. Usually, we only use half of all the Apps we actually download. According to App Annie’s report from March 2018, the average smartphone user downloads 80 apps on their mobile phone but only uses about 40 of them on a monthly basis, while engaging with only 10 apps per day. Most applications are pre-installed on phones during manufacturing, and are usually very hard to remove or even identify.
The well-known Diogenes Syndrome can also be applied to the Digital Age. Thus, we get App hoarders suffering from Digital Diogenes Syndrome.
A large number of apps have been introduced in the transportation sector, some of which have truly revolutionized the industry, while others have caused some controversy. Cities like Paris, Madrid, New York, Tokyo and Moscow have completely changed the way we move and travel. An arsenal of apps will help you with your travels abroad, get through your daily commute, plan your biking routes or with the simple act of moving from point A to point B within your own city.
Here are the top 10 companies with a growing presence in the sector, although some of them do not yet operate in Spain.
Top 10 Transport Apps:
- Via Transportation Inc. (https://ridewithvia.com/), also known as Via, is a privately held American transportation network and real-time ridesharing company based in New York City. The company´s mobile-phone app facilitates group travel for a flat rate.
- Citymapper (https://citymapper.com/) is a public transit app and mapping service. It integrates data for all urban modes of transport, from walking and cycling to driving, with an emphasis on public transport. Also, it is a free app, currently competing with Google Maps. For now, it is available in Barcelona and Madrid, among other cities.
- Taxify OÜ (http://taxify.eu/) is an international transportation network company headquartered in Estonia. The company develops and operates the Taxify mobile application, which allows people to request a taxi or private driver from their smartphone.
- Drivy (https://www.drivy.com/) is a car hire platform between private individuals. It allows you to rent private or professional vehicles near you, or even rent out your own car. Drivy is one of Spain’s leading car rental marketplaces.
- Ofo (https://www.ofo.com/es/es) is a Chinese bicycle sharing company with its own twist. Unlike other bicycle services, the stationless ofo system uses its smartphone app to unlock and locate nearby bicycles. After customers are finished, they can leave the bike anywhere and lock it. The company is targeting Spain.
- Mobike (https://mobike.com/global/ is another Chinese Company. Both Ofo and Mobike pursue the same goal. A bicycle-sharing system for short-distance intra-urban trips, Mobike allows users to grab and park the bikes wherever they please through its mobile app.
- Scoot Networks (https://scoot.co/) is a company that provides public electric scooter and Vespa sharing systems through smart mobile phones. It currently operates in San Francisco, and plans expansion to Barcelona.
- Chariot (https://www.chariot.com/) is an on-demand van service. Purchased by Ford in 2016, it operates its own fleet of 15-person vans, as an on-demand collective transportation service. Right now, it only operates in San Francisco.
- Grab (https://www.grab.com/sg/) is a Singapore-based technology company that originally started out as a “ride-hailing app”. The Grab apps allows you to pick a taxi and choose the best option for your needs. The company has expanded its services to include private cars, “motorbike taxis”, car-pooling, food delivery and mobile payments. It mostly operates in Asia.
- Gett (https://gett.com/juno/) previously known as GetTaxi, is a global on-demand mobility company that connects customers with transportation, goods and services. Customers can order a taxi or courier either through the company´s website or by using the company’s GPS-based smartphone app.
Sources| Hacker Noon, Wikipedia, 20 minutos, El Pais Digital
Images| foter
