Japanese mobile phone operator KDDI Corporation and Willer, one of the largest transportation operators in Japan, have come together to run Willer’s flat-rate, unlimited rides, on-demand mobility service called “mobi”.
Mobi, which was first launched in June 2021, combines mobility services and communications to offer a shared mobility solution for communities and families living in Japan. Willer and KIDDI will establish a joint venture company named Community Mobility to operate the service. The new company will start operations in April 2022.
With Mobi, users simply download the app and register for the service. They then chose a purchase plan based on their area, and can book a vehicle by specifying pick-up and drop-off locations in the app. The service offers unlimited rides within a 2 km radius from the customer’s home.
Through the app, users can also track the vehicle’s location and contact the driver if required. AI routing is used to determine the optimal route based on road and traffic conditions.
According to Willer and KIDDI, the new “strategic partnership demonstrates the strong synergies between the two companies in combining mobility services and communications to solve social and transport challenges in rural and urban areas.”
Those challenges include reduced bus routes, more elderly people handing their driving licenses back earlier and young parents struggling to transport their children to and from school.
The mobi service is currently available in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi; Kyotango, Kyoto; and Toshima-ku, Tokyo.
Through mobi, the two companies aim to “solve regional transportation challenges by offering a stress-free travel option, increase outing opportunities that create interactions among families and community, and contribute to the revitalization of neighborhoods and richer lifestyles.”
