Whim now with West Midlands
Whim, the Spotify of the transport world, will launch across the West Midlands next month, revolutionising the way people use public transport in the region.
Backed by organisations including Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), Mayor Andy Street and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), Whim is now looking for the first 500 people to sign up to the scheme, with the grand unveiling on April 3.
Often dubbed as the Spotify or Netflix of the transport world, Whim integrates journey planning, reservations, payments and subscriptions into one app.
Finnish-owned Whim already operates successfully in Helsinki, where it has 20,000 registered users. It is currently looking for its first 500 West Midlands users to take part in the launch of the scheme ahead of its mass roll out in the region later this summer.
Commuters using Whim will be able to access a number of different modes of public transport including buses, trams, taxis and hire cars, either as part of a monthly fee or on pay-as-you-go.
Whim founder Sampo Hietenan said he was excited to be bringing Whim to the West Midlands:
‘We want to challenge the way people start to think about their journeys and let them see that vehicle ownership doesn’t have to be the only way forward. Whim offers a smart alternative for smart people’.
Whim is the world’s first and only monthly mobility service. It aims to expand to Greater Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the Antwerp region in Belgium as well as Singapore by the end of 2018. Negotiations are ongoing in Austria, Canada, Singapore, and several other markets.
