Platform: Qixxit
Coverage area: Germany
Stakeholders:
- Qixxit: corporation owned by Deutsche Bahn.
- Transport providers that celebrated partnership agreements: DB, Flixbus, Bla Bla Car, Call a Bike, Konrad Bike, Opodo, Matzes Minibus, StadRAD Hamburg, StadRAD Luneburg, Citybus, Busandfly, Avis, Better Taxi, Sixt, Flinc acr sharing, HKX.
- User involvement has always been significant. Active feedback and frequent researches are used since the development of the platform. Users’ input is steered by Qixxit as they develop their questionnaires based on their algorithms.
Organisation and management: Qixxit is a corporation owned by DB however acting autonomously as a business unit. Qixxit is an outside sales channel through which DB aims to gain new customers. It’s open to any mobility service and no preference is given to any mode (neutral advice).
Source of funding: DB
Initial investment: N/A
Development history: Qixxit was developed within DB to offer journey advice for users in Germany. It was launched in 2013.
Modes of transport included: Train, Tram, Bus, private car, taxi, shared car, bike.
Service Features: The trip advice provided is door-to-door, however Qixxit’s main focus is the long leg of the journey given that for most trips within cities already have specific platforms. Travel advice is multi-modal including public transport options, private car, taxi, car-rental, car-sharing options, bike, and bike-sharing. Besides offering trips in different modes, Qixxit also has different options of providers within the same mode. Qixxit indicates the cheapest option as well as the option that emits less CO2. Users are able to create personal profile indicating trip preferences so as to personalise the search/planning tool. Users are not nudged to make specific choices. One of Qixxit’s principle since its inception, even though being owned by DB, is to provide neutral advice. At the moment users can purchase DB tickets through Qixxit, but purchase options for other modes are still not integrated. The information and advice are real-time. Updated with disruptions or delays. The app also follows the trip indicating the remaining time and alerting for transferences.
Source of data: The information available at the platform is supplied by DB as well as all other partner transport providers.
Data flow: The information flow is regulated by formal partnership agreements that specify the transfer of information as well as the manner in which it is displayed by Qixxit. The company does not reveal whether these agreements are remunerated.
Open data policy: Qixxit does offer open access to its data. At the moment all effort is dedicated to improve the tool and develop more functionalities. There is no interest in providing an open API.
Continuity: Qixxit plans to integrate purchase options for all services available at the platform so as to become a one-stop-shop. Currently trips cover German territory however in the near future Qixxit wants to provide advice for international trips – from and back to Germany. Being a fully international platform with advice on trips within different countries is a possible long-run objective.