It has been a big week for Birmingham commuters, having welcomed a new online app into the city. With a mission to ‘transform travel in the West Midlands’, ‘Whim’ offers a fast, convenient way for residents and visitors of the city to arrange transport. Marketed as the next big technology firm, the Helsinki-based company is not just about booking one-off trips. Through the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform, the people of Birmingham can purchase unlimited packages for buses, trains, taxis and car hire for just £99. In addition to the Whim Everyday £99 package, commuters can also invest in the Whim Unlimited package for £349 a month.
Although we have seen various apps looking to streamline vehicle hire, never have we seen something that combines public and private transport in this way. With a mission to get more people using buses and trains, the app has been credited for its promotion of every corner of the transport industry in Birmingham.
Sampo Hietanan, Whim founder, said:
“We like cars, we’re certainly not anti-car, and we still offer access to cars when needed, via taxis or through hire.
“But we are showing people that they don’t need to be so reliant on car ownership”.
While convenience is one of the driving forces behind the app’s launch, Whim is equally as passionate about ethical transport, going to great lengths to encourage a greener Birmingham.
“The benefits are huge – less traffic, less pollution, less stressful journeys, more space in our towns and cities thanks to fewer cars parked on the road.
“Whim will also reward people for greener, healthier options such as walking more and having car-free days.
“People will also soon start to realise the positive health benefits of walking a little more and driving less – not to mention the time and money freed up by not having to maintain a car or having to sit behind the wheel in a traffic jam.
“It just makes more sense” Hietanan continued.
Let us know what you think, will Whim be a UK-wide success?
