Podcast: Episode 4 – Michel Heider, Jelbi (BVG)

In a city where the transport network is as complex as Berlin’s, it is a challenge to bring services together in a coherent and structured way – but it’s a challenge that mobility app Jelbi rose to.

In this episode, we speak with Michel Heider, Head of Jelbi, who talks us through the process of launching the app’s successful pilot. We find out how the app came to be, why BVG wanted to launch it, and how ease of access for passengers sits at its heart. There’s also discussion on why it’s important to back up digital MaaS offerings like Jelbi with physical infrastructure like mobility hubs, and how BVG and Jelbi are managing that balance.

Naturally, there can be no integration in mobility without partnerships – and lots of them. During the podcast, Michel explains what the process is like of onboarding partners for a mobility services pilot, detailing how to get them to join, what the key drivers are and what the challenges are when leading the way on a project in a city as complex as Berlin.

With service integration in urban areas increasing, there’s rarely been a clearer or more obvious way of measuring the impact that shared mobility is having on cities; find out what Michel has to say when asked how apps like Jelbi can support cities and governments in achieving policy goals like reducing congestion or improving air quality.