Electric buses, coverage of the entire national territory (to date, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia are missing) and even trains, with a view to those intermodal connections which, given the growing competition, have already begun to make the big names in rail transport such as Trenitalia and Italo. FlixBus, German bus transport startup in 2011 and present in Italy since 2015, where it reached 10 million passengers in the first three years, becoming the first foreign market in terms of size and the best in terms of growth trend, is not satisfied and relaunches. “We want to change the concept of mobility – explained in Milan Andrea Incondi, the young Managing Director of FlixBus Italia, who discovered the new service first-hand while traveling in Germany in 2014 -: it is not a question of transporting the customer by bus, but of transport it from point A to point B”.
With all possible means, especially if green: so much so that for connections with Sicily there are already active agreements for ferries, but above all that in Germany there are already two green and orange trains (the distinctive colors of FlixBus) and that in France under the logo of the company that has revolutionized the costs of transport by bus (in Italy also on routes such as Milan-Rome the minimum price is 9 euros) electric vehicles are already traveling. “One of our main objectives is sustainability – Incondi continued -: in Italy we hope to have the first lines with electric buses by 2019, but it also depends on the infrastructure, i.e. on the charging stations. We should start with a short route, such as Milan-Turin or Milan-Lugano. The idea is that of a 100% green future”.
For trains, however, the horizon is not yet defined as regards Italy, but it would open up to a real revolution: considering that already today railway carriers such as Fs and Italo have a bus service for intermodal connections, FlixBus would become (with the reverse route, starting from the buses and adding the trains) to all intents and purposes a competitor on the entire service offered. One more option for the many Italian travelers and tourists, which could make mobility more advantageous and more widespread. “As regards the coverage of the territory, we are working on it – said Incondi -. At the moment I am out of Sicily and Sardinia, also for regulatory reasons: we are not authorized to do regional transport, so either the legislation needs to be reviewed or we have to think of alternative solutions such as putting buses on ferries".
The aim is also to strengthen the existing network, which already covers 300 cities. Rome, Milan and Florence remain the most sought-after, but there is also the challenge of Matera, which in 2019 will be the European Capital of Culture and is not reached by the railway line. “We started in 2015 with the first Milan-Venice line: it is still the most popular today, more than the Milan-Rome, and is operated at least 20 times a day, 22 on Saturdays. Sometimes I take first-hand trips to understand how things are going and the MI-VE is almost always full, so one almost thinks of having to even increase the trips".
However, sustainability and coverage are not the only challenges that FlixBus launched at the press conference in Milan, precisely in those offices – in Corso Como – where everything started three years ago and where today 70 people work. “Another challenge is that of accessibility, both in terms of prices, which everyone knows are very advantageous, and in the material possibility of buying a ticket. Offline in Italy is still widespread compared to abroad, as is cash payment, so we have many affiliated agencies and ticket offices, and we also give the possibility to buy tickets on board", says the Italian boss of the company who makes use of the means of 60 transport companies located throughout the territory, contributing in these three years to the creation of 1.500 jobs between drivers and maintenance workers.
There are also, of course, websites and apps for making reservations, especially for the youngest, because technology is another cornerstone of the project. “Already today we offer free WiFi on board the vehicles: soon there will be other media services as well. Our target audience is young, it's true, but that's not all. We want to reach everyone: commuters, both day and weekend, families, tourists, older people”. Technology also at the service of the company itself to calibrate and improve the offer: “Through the algorithm you can understand the needs of customers, the places where there is more demand. We started with the idea of a fixed rate, but now we are able to personalize it”.
No less important theme of these first three years of life, and the next to come, is that of safety. “It comes first – claims the Managing Director of FlixBus Italia – and in this sense there is a fact that already comforts us: most of our customers are young but above all they are female. These are girls, even very young, who often travel alone and who, especially at night, prefer a FlixBus bus to other means, because they feel safer".
Finally, there are also negative notes, starting with the infrastructures: "In Italy - Incondi underlines - 90% of cities do not have bus stations, and the tendency of large cities, such as Milan but also Florence, is not to allow their creation in city centres. preferring more peripheral areas, in order not to congest traffic. On the one hand it is true, but on the other having central bus stations would be a considerable logistical advantage for the consumer. In this sense, we want to launch an appeal to the new government and to Minister Di Maio, on our behalf but on behalf of all the operators of the new economy".
An appeal divided into five points: less bureaucracy: change of mentality, more open to innovation; more space for young realities; protection of workers and fiscal fairness. “This last point is fundamental, because it is okay to talk about the digital economy, but a correct and loyal relationship with the tax authorities must be maintained”. At the moment, however, FlixBus has not yet communicated its turnover: “From Munich they have asked us not to give this information. However, I can say that the turnover in Italy is constantly growing and goes beyond forecasts. We are already at break even and in 2018 we expect 30% more passengers ”, concludes Incondi, who met his German wife while traveling with FlixBus in Germany.
