Ljubljana gets own on-demand public transit service

The Eurban service will be provided by the Ljubljana public transportation company LPP in 20 electric cars, which were presented outside Town Hall on Friday at the start of the European Mobility Week.

Using the service will be similar to taking a bus, with the passengers getting on and off on regular bus lines and stops, with the only difference being that they will have to order their ride.

LPP director Peter Horvat said that on-demand rides would be available in areas where bus service is less frequent or where there are fewer passenger at certain times.

In a test trial, the service has already been introduced on the line 26 between Tuji grm and Mali Lipoglav on the city's south-eastern outskirts, attracting 40 calls in almost two weeks.

Horvat expects the news of the new service to spread fast. LPP will expand the service to other lines based on response from passengers.

The basic trip on demand will be available at LPP fares and will be payable by the Urbana city smart card or by smart phone.

The service would then be expanded outside exiting bus lines. Horvat said the expanded service would be available in October after the fares were endorsed by city councillors.

Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković said that talks were under way with US ride hailing firm Uber to offer the service under the company's trade mark, under the condition that Uber-operated electric cars would be in the same colours as Eurban vehicles.

Horvat was more cautions, saying that nothing had been agreed yet but that Uber app was similar to LPP's but LPP would prefer to use Uber's because of its global recognisability.