Finnish Entrepreneur Creates App-Based “Minibus” Transportation System

An enterprising student in Finland wants to change the way that people get from point A to point B. Instead of taking their own car or bike, she has created a method whereby getting to your destination is just a swipe away. Sonja Heikkilä has, at 24, engineered an app that is intended to allow citizens to plan a custom route from the comfort of their smart phone. The app, called Kutsuplus, allows the user to plan their route and then summons a minibus to pick them up. They have the ability to ride alone, or allow up to around 9 others to join them en route to their digitally determined destination.

Reports indicate that riding using the Kutsuplus app costs more than traditional public transit, yet less than a local taxi. Fees are reportedly collected via smartphone and it’s a technology that its founder is optimistic about. Heikkilä feels that, “Kutsuplus will often offer a better and more effective alternative for private car trips.” That alternative could include digital advantages, including free Wi-Fi onboard the minibuses. The app also maps walking directions for the riders from their stop to their intended destination, if needed.

The concept of this app is intriguing, as companies like Uber and Lyft make a name for themselves in the app-based private transit market. However, what are the capacities of the company? Can they truly map any route? For the time being they have around 1,000 possible bus stops and 500,000 possible routes.

How could this change the landscape of transportation? While this technology was created in Finland, there is a trend of start-up companies creating non-public transportation solutions. Could this change be a function of the next generation? Heikkilä thinks so. In reference to the younger generation that would be most likely to use the app, Sonja was optimistic. She explained that, “they (the next generation) value convenience and spontaneity. They are also very familiar with technology and expect systems to function well. Additionally, the phenomena of sharing economy and ‘servicing’ [organizing and selection of a service is bought and performed by a third party, and customers receive merely the outcome of the actions] are rising. “ While her app has been in use for a year, reports indicate that her ultimate desire is to create a competition-based marketplace for bidding on affordable private transportation.