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Kinto launches largest and most ambitious MaaS service in UK yet

Kinto, Toyota’s mobility brand, has developed a major new app-based service said to be the largest and most ambitious Mobility as a Service (MaaS) scheme yet in the UK.

DerbyGo is being rolled out first to students and staff at University of Derby and Derby College, but will expand to enhance travel in and around the city

Dubbed DerbyGo, the programme will support students, residents and commuters in Derby with journey planning, booking and payment via a single smartphone app.

The project has been developed as part of Derby’s Future Transport Zone programme, supported with around £500,000 of Government funding.

Kinto, previously Inchcape Fleet Solutions and rebranded as Kinto as a result of its acquisition by Toyota Fleet Mobility, is supporting Derby City Council with its future mobility programme.

Initially operating as an 18-month trial, DerbyGo is being rolled out first to students and staff at University of Derby and Derby College and will focus on local rail and bus services, but will expand to integrate a growing number of mobility features and capabilities to enhance travel in and around the city, with users helping test, inform and optimise its potential.

The launch of the scheme coincides with the arrival of around 10,000 new students on campus, who are seen as ideal first adopters for the service, with many likely to be familiar with using apps for travel services, maximising the potential early uptake.

This will also be the first MaaS platform to integrate transport accessibility information for people with special mobility needs.

Key developments targeted for the app’s evolution include digital parking management and the introduction of electronic payment, as well as potentially introducing pre-booking priority for cars with more than one person on board, encouraging the uptake of car sharing.

Micro-mobility services, such as e-bike schemes, are also planned for integration within the app, as early as spring 2022.

Richard Balshaw, Kinto UK group vice president, said: “Today is an exciting first step in helping deliver better mobility for all. With the enthusiasm and vision of Derby City Council, University of Derby and Derby College, we are able to launch DerbyGo (by Kinto) and develop a wealth of mobility services to encourage and enable easier and more efficient journeys.

“Constant monitoring of performance will help plan better transport and parking provisions, bringing associated benefits of better traffic flow and less vehicle pollution.”

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Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.