Ridesharing Company Via to Launch Service in Jerusalem
After announcing service in Tel Aviv in November, the ridesharing company, which already operates in cities like New York, Tokyo, Sydney, and Paris, is entering Israel’s largest city
15:0118.02.19
New York-headquartered ridesharing company Via Transportation Inc. is set to launch its service in Jerusalem later this year, according to three people who spoke to Calcalist on condition of anonymity. Via will collaborate with Israeli public transportation company Egged Israel Transport Cooperative Society Ltd. to operate a fleet of 50 14-seat vans, and passengers will be able to hitch a ride using the Via app.
Jerusalem. Photo: Shutterstock Prices for the ridesharing service will start at NIS 9 ($2.49) and go up to NIS 13 ($3.59), more than double the price of a regular bus fare, but significantly less than the cost of a taxi ride.
Founded in 2012 by Israel-born entrepreneurs Daniel Ramot and Oren Shoval, Via already operates in 32 cities worldwide, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Sydney, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, London, and Tokyo. The company is backed by a $50 million investment and strategic collaboration with Daimler AG's van division Mercedes-Benz Vans. To date, Via has raised nearly $387 million, according to Pitchbook data.
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In November 2018, Via announced it was set to launch a similar service in Tel Aviv, in collaboration with local public transportation company the Dan Bus Company. A similar service is set to launch around the same time in northern Israeli city Haifa, operated by Egged in collaboration with Israeli public transit app developer Moovit App Global Ltd, these people said.
Jerusalem. Photo: Shutterstock 