Zipabout launches First and Last Mile feature, integrates e-scooters into UK public transport network

British technology company Zipabout has launched its new First and Last Mile feature, integrating all passenger transport options – including e-scooters – for the first time.

The First and Last mile feature is now live on Zipabout’s personalised information service and will soon be made available to its clients (transport operators, local authorities, and event organisers/venues) so they can provide personalised first and last-mile support to their passengers and customers.

The service integrates micromobility options into the UK public transport network. It will also encourage passengers to try new and sustainable ways to begin and end their journey as well as giving them a choice rather than a recommendation.

Voi Technology is the first micromobility company to partner with Zipabout. This means passengers arriving by train at cities where Voi has trials (including Northampton, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Cambridge, Kettering and West Bromwich) will also see e-scooters listed in the personalised messaging they receive outlining the options available for their onward journey.

This will be presented alongside all other transport modes (bus, taxi, and walking) and the travel time for each one. If they choose a scooter, they’ll be able to sign up and book from their train ahead of arriving at the station. They’ll then be guided to the nearest Voi e-scooter location and provided with a suggested route.

Passengers can access the service by planning their journey using Zipabout’s real-time personalised information service, which is currently available on Messenger and will soon be available on WhatsApp and SMS.

Alex Froom, co-founder and CEO, Zipabout, said:  “Zipabout’s First and Last Mile feature is a global first for the mobility as a service community and one of many exciting steps Zipabout is taking to transform the experience of transport.

“We are providing the platform and vision that means all transport modes and providers, including micromobility companies like Voi Technology, can be fully integrated into the public transport system both in the UK and around the world.”

Richard Corbett, regional general manager UK, Voi Technology, added:  “We are thrilled to announce this integration with Zipabout offering our e-scooters as an option to complement first and last mile train journeys.

“E-scooters are a convenient, accessible and socially distanced mode of transport, particularly important while the current COVID restrictions are in place. By integrating our carbon-neutral service with public transport we can replace more short car journeys, reducing congestion and improving air quality creating better cities for living.”