National Express West Midlands (NXWM), Uber and Masabi have partnered to launch NXWM bus tickets in the Uber app using Masabi’s Justride platform.
This integration enables National Express West Midlands passengers to purchase bus tickets on the familiar Uber app, thus offering greater convenience and flexibility.
Andrew Brem, General Manager of Uber UK, said:We’re delighted to launch this new consumer product as it further extends Uber’s goal of helping riders go anywhere, be it by train, car, bike, coach, boat and now bus. The partnership with National Express West Midlands will help turn Uber into a one-stop-shop for our users across the region creating seamless multi-modal journeys in one simple in-app experience.
The bus tickets can be purchased by clicking on the red bus icon in the Uber app. Under the UK government’s current bus fare scheme, single journeys are capped at just 2 GBP.
This functionality is powered by Masabi’s Justride Software Development Kit (SDK). This ticketing software aims to create a seamless passenger experience by integrating secure ticketing platforms within existing apps.
John Boughton, Commercial Director for National Express UK and Ireland, said:This first-of-its-kind collaboration provides new and existing customers greater flexibility and choice by offering sustainable travel options, alongside great value fares.
In 2022 we partnered with Uber to offer access to National Express coach bookings across the UK through the user-friendly Uber app. We are really pleased to be enhancing this partnership further by integrating National Express West Midlands tickets and making it easier to move around the West Midlands by bus.
This integration builds on NXWM’s existing partnership with Masabi, which began in 2016 with the mTicket app launch. This collaboration led to a student-focused smart ticketing scheme in 2018, cash digitisation in 2021 for ticket purchases at retail locations, and the UK’s largest on-bus QR code mobile ticket scanning system in 2023 using Masabi’s Justride platform.
In 2023, Justride facilitated 43 million bus trips, improving efficiency and reducing driver effort by 25 percent.
Now, passengers can access tickets through Uber, as well as the NXWM mTicket app.
Brian Zanghi, CEO of Masabi, said:Uber's use of Masabi’s SDK allows agencies to offer passengers enhanced choices and seamlessly connects public and private modes. By integrating ticketing options into the Uber app service accessibility and flexibility are increased, ensuring an unparalleled passenger experience. Building upon the success of the NXWM mTicket app, we are excited to further develop our longstanding partnerships with NXWM and Uber, and to help deliver a better passenger experience for travellers across the region and beyond.
