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Analysis and Technology

Why do firms like Uber and Citymapper keep reinventing buses?

By Jessica Hamzelou

22 February 2018

Citymapper's new London bus

Shaking up London transport

Citymapper

This week, travel app Citymapper is launching a new service to Londoners. They will soon be able to use the app to book seats on the company’s new eight-seater “Smart Ride” minibuses – a cross between a bus and a taxi. Meanwhile, Uber has rolled out a new scheme in the US that asks people willing to carpool to wait at designated locations – serving as bus stops, essentially.

These are the latest in a steady stream of pilot services launched by tech companies seeking to disrupt the way we travel around cities. By using up-to-the-minute…

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