Moovizy, the MaaS application of Saint-Etienne

In the finals of the International Public Transport Union Awards, Moovizy stands out in the MaaS race. Selected beside two major capitals Berlin and Moscow, the application developed by the Metropolis of Saint-Etienne is among the three finalists in the “Multimodal Integration” category. A nomination that is not a coincidence…

Since its launch in September 2016, the application MaaS of Saint-Étienne Moovizy has been striving to simplify travel as much as possible in the agglomeration of the Greens. With the goal of offering the Best-in-class application, allowing to bundle different experiences within the same platform. A “multimodal” experience, allowing the reservation of a single mode of transportation among several alternatives. An “intermodal” experience, with the aim of proposing the best door-to-door trip via the calculator. And finally, a “ticketing” experience, offering direct access to the purchase of transport tickets. Three ways of consuming mobility. Focus on the UX design of the application MaaS of Saint-Étienne, which already has over 150,000 downloads in a city of over 170,000 inhabitants. An analysis from our comparative analysis.

Multimodal: A dozen integrated operators

While the MaaS concept was just starting to catch on in France, the first challenge of Moovizy was to convince many transport operators. Launched in 2016, Moovizy has been able to create its own ecosystem of mobility service providers. Whether on a local scale with the integration of self-service bicycles “Véliverts” or even “Radio taxis Saint-Etienne“. But also, on a regional scale with the carpooling service of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region, “Mov’ici” or the buses “car Région Loire“. A complete offer that also includes “Citiz” the car-sharing service, available in several cities in France. But above all, the transport public of the Saint-Etienne agglomeration (“STAS”), at the origin of this MaaS application.

Indeed, Moovizy is governed by the model “integrator by transport”. One of the four governance models defined by the UITP (International Association of Public Transport). In this model, the transit provider STAS manages the MaaS solution. This is done in collaboration with Cityway, Transdev’s innovation subsidiary. To discover the other three governance models, please consult our guide.

An strategic choice because in 2016 the STAS network registered about 73,000 customers per day. By entrusting the MaaS project to STAS, Moovizy could easily access to the distribution systems of the MaaS application. And this, in a deep way. Indeed, it is important to underline that Moovizy made the choice to integrate almost only in-app payments. A user experience that we also find with other private mobility providers. This is notably the case with Véliverts or Radiotaxis. No redirection to a third-party site, all payments are made in-app.

An offer available from the homepage (discovery)

An exhaustive offer that the user can find on an interactive map, central element of the home. The user has access to an overview of the 8 modes of transport available. These include buses, streetcars, self-service bicycles, car-sharing vehicles, parking, cabs, trains, buses and carpooling. With the possibility of filtering them without having to go through the route planner, as shown in the diagram below.

Intermodal: door-to-door trips to Lyon!

With the release of its second version, the mobility app from Saint-Étienne Moovizy has made many significant improvements including a revision of the UI/UX, a new customer service, but also the evolution towards an intermodal trip planner. Indeed, the user now has the possibility to plan combined trips, for immediate or future departures. Presented in the form of lists, the user can find the different travel times or the carbon footprint of each route.

Intermodal trips including only the private car, public transport (STAS and TCL, Lyon’s public transport operator) and/or the regional SNCF offer. With payment only for public transport. To go even further in this intermodal experience, do not hesitate to consult our guide.

Ticketing: Direct purchase of M-ticket

Thanks to its direct access to the STAS distribution system, Moovizy allows its users to integrate a digitalized ticketing system. No more need for the Ourà magnetic card, the Moovizy application becomes the precious sesame. Compatibility between the different terminals and media is made possible by “the cEMV standard, an international security standard for contactless payment cards issued by Apple/Google Pay”. The application’s user path depends on the ticketing system already in place by the public transport operator. Three basic cEMV models defined by UK Card Association :

In the case of Moovizy Saint-Étienne, the Single-Tap model was chosen. For each payment, it gives the right to an M-ticket at €1.40, valid for 1.5 hours on the entire STAS network. This payment is debited from the registered bank card, at the beginning of the following month. With an incentive strategy that gives the right to “a credit of 4 € on the purchase of future tickets on Moovizy, after 10 purchases of transport tickets over a period of 3 months“. However, it is important to specify that this process does not allow advance purchases.

Regarding ticket validation, Moovizy had initially chosen to install 400 beacons in the STAS network vehicles. A small wireless beacon deployed by Saint-Étienne Métropole as part of the agglomeration’s digital strategy. This technology is a national first, but it will evolve towards NFC technology and the installation of QR codes at bus entrances and near the doors of tramways.

Overview of the Moovizy’s user experience

To discover the different UX approaches, don’t hesitate to consult
our complete benchmark of the 10 MaaS applications.