SMRT and Toyota Tsusho-backed Singapore startup mobilityX has announced the launch of the Zipster app and transport subscription plan, which aims to offer commuters savings of up to 20% a month for their travel needs.
Last October, mobilityX announced that it had raised an undisclosed Series A round led by Toyota Tsusho, the trading arm of the Toyota Group. They had previously received a seed investment from SMRT.
There are plans to introduce “three to five” subscription plans in six months’ time, which will give commuters “varying amounts of savings for trips on both public transport and private-hire cars and even shared electric cars”.
Zipster is said to be the “first of its kind in Asia” and brings on board public buses and trains, ride-hailing companies like Grab and Gojek, bike-sharing service Anywheel, bus-pooling service ShareTransport, and BlueSG, which operates an electric car-sharing service.
The app was officially launched by Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Chee Hong Tat, who said that such MaaS (Mobility as a Service) apps “offer commuters a more streamlined and personalised experience”.
He added that apps like Zipster are “poised to be the next disruptor in the land transport sector”.
Subscription Plans Would Cost Between $50-$100
mobilityX’s CEO Colin Lim revealed that the subscription plans could cost between $50 to $100, and would offer commuters up to 20% savings.
It would also let commuters compare multiple travelling options and book private transport services (i.e. ride-hailing) on the app.
Currently, the beta version of the Zipster app has been downloaded by 16,000 users and only offers a route planning function, discount vouchers for ride-hailing services, and acts as an cost aggregator for trips taken via public transport or private-hire services.
Lim also shared that they are working with Mastercard and Singapore fintech firm MatchMove to develop a pilot payment card for the subscription plans.
He also has plans to expand Zipster in the Asia Pacific region, and is working with Enterprise Singapore to take it overseas.
“We are still in the early stages of the revolution. I think in the next five to 10 years, how people consume transport will change dramatically.”
