Toyota and Nishitetsu to Begin Full-scale Operation of Multi-modal Mobility Service "my route" in Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu CityJR Kyushu joins project to further improve convenience and expand services

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co., Ltd. (Nishitetsu) will begin full-scale operation on November 28 of the Toyota-developed multi-modal mobility service "my route" for smartphones, which will be launched in Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu City in collaboration with service providers in the areas of traffic, shopping, and event information. The project will also be expanded to include the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu).

Toyota and Nishitetsu began trials of my route in Fukuoka City from November 1, 2018, through which they aimed to verify the viability of multi-modal mobility services, understand areas for improvement, and provide more convenient services for residents and tourists. With the app downloaded about 30,000 times during the one-year trial period, and about 80 percent of survey respondents saying they were "satisfied" after using it, the service proved to be popular and commercially viable. For this reason, as the service begins full-scale operation, service areas have been expanded from Fukuoka City, where the trials were conducted, to now include Kitakyushu City.

As my route moves to full-scale operation, service convenience is being dramatically improved in a number of ways, including expanding choice of electronic payment methods with support for Toyota Wallet^*1, connectivity with Toyota's car-sharing service with support for Toyota Share, and Chinese (traditional and simplified) and Korean languages planned in addition to the current Japanese and English^*2.

In Fukuoka City, as a collaboration with Nishitetsu and JR Kyushu, a digital ticketing service^*2 is planned for the Fukuoka Tourist City Pass for foreign tourists in Fukuoka City, jointly provided by Fukuoka City, Nishitetsu, JR Kyushu, and Showa Bus, in addition to a One-day Pass already sold for Nishitetsu Bus and Nishitetsu Train in Fukuoka City. In Kitakyushu City, a One-day Pass provided by Nishitetsu Bus Kitakyushu will also be offered for sale. The convenience of non-public transport options will also be improved with a planned collaboration with Daiichi Koutsu Sangyo Co., Ltd.'s Motaku taxi booking service^*2.

Collaborations with Shinkansen (bullet train) and highway bus will also provide support for long distance travel, with Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu City being the starting point or destination. Specifically, services offered will be gradually expanded with links to JR Kyushu Net Yoyaku^*3, an online ticket booking service for the Kyushu Shinkansen operated by JR Kyushu and highwaybus.com^*2, a booking and payment site for reserved-seating highway buses operated by Keio Dentetsu Bus Co., Ltd.

Going forward, my route will become even more convenient through collaborations with Fukuoka City, Kitakyushu City, and other businesses in addition to the core partnership of Toyota, Nishitetsu, and JR Kyushu.

Toyota's, Nishitetsu's, and JR Kyushu's roles in this partnership are as follows.

Toyota

Toyota is in charge of development and operation of the my route app and payments platform, while it also provides information about Toyota Rent a Car and Toyota's car share service. It is also planning to expand my route to other areas, starting with Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu City.

Nishitetsu

Nishitetsu is in charge of providing positional information for buses it operates, and information on Nishitetsu Group shops and events (Tenjin Site, etc.), while it also sells app-only digital One-day Passes for buses and trains. It is also planning, before the end of fiscal 2020, to start offering app-based QR code coupons in collaboration with various commercial establishments.

JR Kyushu

JR Kyushu is in charge of providing operation information and an online booking service for Shinkansen trains and conventional trains it operates, while it also plans to expand the further collaboration with my route in the future.

Service overview

• app introduction and download

  https://www.myroute.fun/en/index.html

• Launch

  November 28, 2019

• Location

  Fukuoka City, Kitakyushu City, and their surrounding areas

• Service details

  1. Multi-modal route search
     Displays route options, combining various modes of transport including public transport (such as bus, rail, and subway), automobiles (such as taxis, rental cars, car sharing, and private vehicles), bicycles, and walking. Also displays the real-time location of Nishitetsu route buses and parking lot status information.
  2. Reservations and payments
     Enables reservation and payment for taxis, and purchase of Nishitetsu Bus and Train digital One-day Passes, providing a seamless service from reservation through to use in one app. In addition to Toyota Share being available on the my route app before the end of 2019, Toyota Wallet support will also be added to provide payment options to suit each customer.
  3. Shop and event information search
     Provides information on unique-to-Fukuoka events, shops, and sightseeing spots while suggesting options for outings and improving navigation.

Collaborating services (New services added for full-scale operation of my route are underlined in bold letters below. Including services which will be added in the future.)

Digital One-day Pass overview

Fukuoka area

Kitakyushu area