Toyota and Nishitetsu begin full-scale operation of multi-modal mobility service “my route” in Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu City
01 December 2019
Toyota Motor Corporation and Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co., Ltd. (Nishitetsu) have begin full-scale operation of the Toyota-developed multi-modal mobility service “my route” for smartphones. The service was launched in Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu City in collaboration with service providers in the areas of traffic, shopping, and event information. The project will also be expanded to include the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu).
my route supports mobility services with its route search combining various modes of transport, including public transport, automobiles, bicycles, and walking, and with reservations and payments as required. my route provides shop and event information while enabling users to search, book, and pay for transport, and offers integrated mobility functions that can be completed with a single app.
App screenshots of route search (left) and route search results (right).
Toyota and Nishitetsu began trials of my route in Fukuoka City 1 November 2018, through which they aimed to verify the viability of multi-modal mobility services, understand areas for improvement, and provide more convenient services for residents and tourists.
With the app downloaded about 30,000 times during the one-year trial period, about 80% of survey respondents saying they were “satisfied” after using it, the service proved to be popular and commercially viable. For this reason, as the service begins full-scale operation, service areas have been expanded from Fukuoka City, where the trials were conducted, to now include Kitakyushu City.
As my route moves to full-scale operation, service convenience is being improved in a number of ways, including expanding choice of electronic payment methods with support for Toyota Wallet, connectivity with Toyota’s car-sharing service with support for Toyota Share, and Chinese (traditional and simplified) and Korean languages planned in addition to the current Japanese and English.
In Fukuoka City, as a collaboration with Nishitetsu and JR Kyushu, a digital ticketing service is planned for the Fukuoka Tourist City Pass for foreign tourists in Fukuoka City, jointly provided by Fukuoka City, Nishitetsu, JR Kyushu, and Showa Bus, in addition to a One-day Pass already sold for Nishitetsu Bus and Nishitetsu Train in Fukuoka City.
In Kitakyushu City, a One-day Pass provided by Nishitetsu Bus Kitakyushu will also be offered for sale. The convenience of non-public transport options will also be improved with a planned collaboration with Daiichi Koutsu Sangyo Co., Ltd.’s Motaku taxi booking service.
Collaborations with Shinkansen (bullet train) and highway buses will also provide support for long distance travel, with Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu City being the starting point or destination. Specifically, services offered will be gradually expanded with links to JR Kyushu Net Yoyaku, an online ticket booking service for the Kyushu Shinkansen operated by JR Kyushu and highwaybus.com, a booking and payment site for reserved-seating highway buses operated by Keio Dentetsu Bus Co., Ltd.
Going forward, my route will become even more convenient through collaborations with Fukuoka City, Kitakyushu City, and other businesses in addition to the core partnership of Toyota, Nishitetsu, and JR Kyushu.
Toyota’s, Nishitetsu’s, and JR Kyushu’s roles in this partnership are as follows:
Toyota is in charge of development and operation of the my route app and payments platform, while it also provides information about Toyota Rent a Car and Toyota’s car share service. It is also planning to expand my route to other areas, starting with Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu City.
Nishitetsu is in charge of providing positional information for buses it operates, and information on Nishitetsu Group shops and events (Tenjin Site, etc.), while it also sells app-only digital One-day Passes for buses and trains. It is also planning, before the end of fiscal 2020, to start offering app-based QR code coupons in collaboration with various commercial establishments.
JR Kyushu is in charge of providing operation information and an online booking service for Shinkansen trains and conventional trains it operates, while it also plans to expand the further collaboration with my route in the future.
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