Willers has entered a joint venture (JV) with telecommunications company Kiddi to offer its one-mile Mobi service in Japan, Singapore and Vietnam.
Willers says the service is available to fulfil a variety of purposes, such as picking and dropping children off at tuition centres, while also offering a means of transport for family members who do not have a driving licence like elderly relatives.
The company points out that many young parents face challenges in transporting their children to and from school while also emphasising that demand for short distance transportation is rising as more time is spent near home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The National Police Agency, Driver's License Statistics confirm there are eight times more elderly people turning in their driving licences in a comparison from 2020 to 2011.
Willers describes Mobi as an unlimited rides area on-demand mobility service based on the concept of “community mobility”, whereby people come together.
The artificial intelligence (AI) capability of the app determines the optimal route based on road and booking conditions so that customers can travel efficiently from pick-up location to the destination within the 2km radius service areas, the company adds.
The service in Japan is available in Shibuya-ku (Tokyo), Chikusa-ku (Nagoya, Aichi), Kyotango (Kyoto) and Toshima-ku (Tokyo). In Singapore, Mobi is also picking up passengers at River Valley-Robertson Quay-Orchard-Newto, but Vietnam operations in Cau Giay (Hanoi) have been temporarily suspended due to the pandemic.
A 30-day subscription plan in Japan costs ¥5,000, while single trips are ¥300 for adults and ¥150 for children. The same plan charges S$75 in Singapore, but single trips are S$5 for all riders.
