Tel Aviv’s bubble

Working closely with both Ministries and Dan, Via customized its technology for the on-demand service, which now serves a 40 square kilometer zone in Tel Aviv and the surrounding cities of Bnei Brak, Ramat Gan, and Giv’atayim. Bubble allows riders to easily book on-demand, shared rides using an iOS or Android app. Via’s proprietary routing algorithm directs riders and drivers to nearby Virtual Bus Stops for seamless pickups and dropoffs, without lengthy detours or inconvenient fixed routes. In less than a year, bubble expanded its fleet from 40 to 100 vehicles, including Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minibuses and wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs). Bubble’s vehicles are able to use dedicated public transportation lanes and all vans are equipped with an In-Vehicle Screen (IVS) that displays trip status to riders in real time. But it’s the flexibility of on-demand technology that makes bubble so distinctive. During each new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, bubble dynamically adapted its services to transport essential workers in and around Tel Aviv. Operators implemented new safety measures, such as limiting vehicle capacity to ensure social distancing, and added five new cities and all of the main hospitals in central Israel to the service zone. At the beginning of 2020, bubble launched its “bubble for Business” service, giving companies a way to ensure their employees can get to work efficiently and safely, without contributing to rush hour traffic.