Daimler and Berlin's Public Transport Operator to Offer Ridesharing

Daimler AG's (DAI.XE) Mercedes-Benz Vans will collaborate on research and development for a ridesharing concept with Berlin's public transport operator and ridesharing company Via Transportation Inc.

In a pilot project scheduled to start early next year, ViaVan--a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz Vans and Via--and transport operator Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe, or BVG, will offer on-demand ridesharing in the city's Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg districts, Daimler said Wednesday.

The new shuttle service will allow passengers to use an app to call a local public transport vehicle "at short notice to an agreed point," Daimler said.

The project's initial fleet will consist of 50 Mercedes-Benz vehicles and the companies aim to expand that number to 300 during the duration of the project.

The project is pending regulatory approval, which BVG has already applied for under Germany's Passenger Transportation Act, Daimler said.

Write to Max Bernhard at Max.Bernhard@dowjones.com; @mxbernhard

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 20, 2017 07:29 ET (12:29 GMT)