FREE NOW integrates public transport tickets into its app in Germany

Credit: FREE NOW

FREE NOW has announced that it now offers all modes of transport from a single source, as its users can now book public transport services through its app, along with taxis, private cars, e-scooters, e-bikes, e-mopeds and car-sharing. 

The first co-operation enabling access to public transport services via the FREE NOW app has been signed with Rheinbahn in Germany. FREE NOW users will be able to book tickets for buses, trams and underground trains directly in the app for all tariff zones of the Rhine-Ruhr Public Transport Association (VRR). The integration completes the company’s offering of on-demand mobility in one of Germany’s most important metropolitan regions, including major cities like Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen, Bochum, Wuppertal and Duisburg.

To begin with, users in Germany will be able to buy single tickets, day passes and 48-hour passes, as the technical integration has already begun. The ticket sales are possible due to a partnership with the Dutch aggregator Tranzer. Further partnerships with other transport companies in Germany and across Europe are planned for 2023.

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FREE NOW has continuously expanded its mobility offering for its users since 2020, in partnership with mobility players in Germany and Europe. As a result, its app brings together more than 400,000 vehicles in Europe. This consists of ride-hailing services like taxis and private cars, as well as car-sharing and electric micro-mobility.

Thomas Zimmermann, CEO of FREE NOW, said: “We’re pleased that we’re now the first private mobility platform to be able to offer our users public transport tickets in the biggest population and the largest urban transport area in Europe. This is an important next stage for us and, for the first time, we’re enabling end-to-end ticketing for different modes of transport in our app. Linking different mobility offers is crucial to succeed in transforming transportation in Europe. FREE NOW actively supports this as a partner of public transport. Our goal is to make urban mobility in Europe more sustainable, intelligent and interconnected.”

Susanne Momberg, Chief Financial Officer of Rheinbahn, said: “We want to make travel easy. That’s why we like to work with a wide variety of partners in the mobility industry to create a diverse and modern offering. Now that selected VRR tickets are available in the FREE NOW app, our passengers can buy public transport tickets easily, and benefit from FREE NOW’s offering at the same time.”