Getting around quickly and without a lot of effort is not always easy. Adding sustainable to it may make it seem impossible for some people in their stressful and hectic life. That’s why we want to introduce you the app Whim.
During the night, a few weeks ago we were walking on the Meir where we saw a strangely dressed man and a lot of advertisement. Out of curiosity we went back the following day to find out what it’s all about. We met some enthusiastic promoters who explained us more, and we would like to share it with you!
Whim is a mobile application that connects various mobility services in Antwerp in one platform: local Taxis, public transportation, car rental, bike sharing. The app calculates the fastest and most suited route and mode of transportation. It’s all about efficiency, sharing and on-demand transportation. Depending on your needs, you can choose between two plans: ‘Pay as you go’ or ‘Whim everyday’, with unlimited access to most transportation modes. See the link below for more information.
The main goal of this new application is to decrease the car traffic in Antwerp, to provide you with more sustainable solutions and to make the usage of public transportation and bikes more convenient. For now, Whim works closely with Antwerp Taxi and the car rental company Sixt, but also focuses on more sustainable options of transportation, such as ‘De Lijn’ (trains and busses). It even integrates our beloved bike sharing system (Velo), with several bike stations available in the centre of Antwerp. In order to use the bike, you need a specific card which allows you to use the bike for 30 minutes. We will talk about our experience with Velo below.
WHY use this app
First and foremost, our beautiful city of Antwerp is full of cars. While we understand that it may be extremely convenient to use the car, even for short distances, it’s just not acceptable anymore. The impact of cars and traffic on the environment and our well-being is enormous. And let’s be honest, public and shared transportation is just as easy as taking a car plus much more fun! Secondly, the two different membership models allow you to benefit from the best possible rates which can make your journey much cheaper than expected!
Our experience with Velo
We already downloaded the app and used it in combination with our Velo Card, as you need to get the card on your own with the ‘Pay as you go’ model. The bike system is very simple and easy to use!
Velo bikes are available everywhere in the city and the customer service is great. The Velo app allows you to easily report problems, so you won’t lose much time on dealing with issues. Overall, we are very pleased with this means of transport and being a student you don’t have to bring your own bike to Antwerp or risk getting it stolen. It is also a sustainable way of transportation.
However, we do think that this way of transport has room for improvements. Every station has the same capacity, even though some locations are more crowded than others.
Because of that, some stations can be totally empty which means you have to walk to a different station in order to use a bike. We would therefore suggest to implement more stations in the city or to at least enlarge certain stations.
Interested in learning more and commute more sustainable?
Download the app in the Appstore or Android and try it out!
More information on Whim
By Barbara Allaert and Henri Desmet (antwerpmeetssustainability@zoho.com)
Antwerp Meets Sustainability 