With their data analysis agency Lynxx, Sanneke Mulderink and Paul Rooijmans have been working for public transport companies in The Netherlands and abroad for twelve years. The company is located above the railway station in Amersfoort and also has a branch in Sydney. Three years ago, the pair started developing Tranzer, a free app that allows you to order a taxi, shared car, rental bike or tickets for public transport. “We actually found it very strange that there was no app that allows you to book, plan and pay for a trip with public transport only by your mobile phone”, says Mulderink. “We then entered into talks with public transport companies and started with Connexxion. Bus line 197 from Schiphol to Amsterdam was the first for which you could buy a ticket via our application. Then Connexxion opened all its bus and train lines for us, followed by the NS, RET, HTM and other carriers. We saw that we were appealing to a new audience, namely the occasional travelers without a subscription. “
Those travelers want to book their trips with the convenience of their phone and know immediately what options there are. Taxi services and sharing platforms for cars, scooters and bicycles can also be booked through Tranzer. Rooijmans: “If you plan your trip via the app, it looks at all options. Then a calculation follows of what your trip will cost by public transport, taxi or car. From that overview you can make your choice and indicate how you want to pay. “
From a to B
Tranzer is now active in the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Germany. “Our app means you don’t have to buy subscriptions for everything. Which company transports me is not very important to me. I just want to get from A to B and be able to arrange that in the most accessible way possible “, says Rooijmans.
In order for Tranzer to function optimally, integration with other platforms is necessary, Mulderink indicates. “From banks, for example, that want to offer more and more services and also end up in daily public transport transactions. KLM, WeChat, WeGoEuro, TravelCard and MultiTankcard already offer their customers this flexible way of traveling with Tranzer. “
Tranzer is also interesting for other companies. To link their employees’ business trips and the information for declaring them, says Rooijmans. “They can also add regular taxi companies that they work with. By simplifying this process with our app, we hope that the government will also consider the possibilities of Tranzer. It can contribute very well to solving mobility issues, such as parking problems in cities. Making public transport cheaper or free when parking rates are increased does not always work. Adapting infrastructure is only part of the solution, people’s behavior will also have to change. ”
“We want you to be able to buy a public transport ticket or rent public transport bicycles or cars from Greenwheels wherever you are. Without a subscription, because as a result you get more and more initiatives that function side by side with their own parking spaces and bicycle sheds. Open that up, so that everyone can access and use those facilities. “
Tranzer and MasterCard
This year, Tranzer and eleven other scale-ups (fast-growing start-ups) were selected for the MasterCard Startpath Program from more than 1,600 companies registered. This gives the app, which now has more than 100,000 users in Europe, an extra boost to grow worldwide.
Ponooc, a Pon Holdings fund that focuses on investments in mobility and renewable energy, also recently took a significant stake in Tranzer. This investment contributes to Tranzer’s ambition to become the European market leader in Mobility as a Service, says Mulderink. “There is also synergy with Pon. They are busy creating all kinds of hubs for shared cars, scooters and bicycles in new housing estates. And we can provide the platform for that. “
Because car ownership will decline in the future, Pon is also investing in new mobility concepts to which cars and bicycles can be connected. The company owns Gazelle and Greenwheels, among others, and previously invested in Swapfiets.
Rooijmans: “Our goal is to make more mobility accessible. Together with Pon assets, such as Greenwheels. But also, to become connected with the systems in their car brands.  Offer a weekend subscription for cars in the future or make it possible to rent a small car during the week and a large car at the weekend. “