Egged brings TikTak smart shuttle system to Jerusalem
"Egged TikTak is expected to change the face of public transportation in the city and provide a fast, convenient and customized public transportation service at a low financial cost."
By TZVI JOFFREEgged's TikTak shared shuttle service(photo credit: TOMER FEDER)
Egged will launch its “TikTak” shared shuttle service in Jerusalem on Tuesday, allowing public transport users to book inexpensive rides on shared minibuses, easing their travel in the city, the bus company said.To order a ride, users will need to download the Egged app, sign in to TikTak and then specify a pick-up point and a destination. The app will then use an algorithm developed by Via that will provide them with the quickest shared route.Initially, only residents of certain areas in Jerusalem will be able to order a ride in advance for a specific hour, but this service will gradually be expanded to the rest of the city.Some 50 minibuses will operate at the start, with rides costing between NIS 10-15, depending on rush hours. Senior citizens are afforded a 50% discount. The service will run from Sunday to Thursday between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. but those hours may be increased if there will be a demand.The TikTak service has already been operating in Haifa for half a year and there has been a sharp and consistent rise in the number of new users, Egged said.“Egged TikTak is great news for residents of Jerusalem, who will receive a premium service similar to the one that already operates in Tel Aviv and Haifa,” Transportation Minister Miri Regev said in a press release. “I see the promotion of smart and inviting public transport as a central mission of the Transportation Ministry under my leadership.”Regev added that after the initial launch, the ministry will examine TikTak’s performance and will use the findings to plan for its expansion in Jerusalem and in other cities.“It is greatly exciting to bring one of the most important cities in the world into the next era of public transportation,” said Egged chairman Avi Friedman. “Egged TikTak is expected to change the face of public transportation in the city and it will provide a fast, convenient and customized service at low cost.“Egged TikTak will operate alongside existing public transportation services in the city, and we all hope that over time the service will grow – and even help lower traffic congestion in the city by reducing the use of private vehicles,” he said.Via, the company that developed the platform for use in Jerusalem, is also behind the Dan Bus Company’s “Bubble” service that operates in the Tel Aviv region. The service is similar to TikTak, with users ordering a shared shuttle from the Bubble app, where the quickest route is mapped out for them. The TikTak service in Haifa is run on a system developed by Moovit.
"We are proud of the cooperation with Egged in launching the operating system of the next generation of public transportation," said Oren Shoval, Co-Founder and CTO of VIA. "Efficient and easy-to-use public transportation is a key element in the fabric of everyday life for all of us, especially in this challenging period. Today, Jerusalem, the capital, joins dozens of cities around the world that operate smart public transportation services based on Via technology."
