Wayla, the startup ready to launch on-demand mobility offer in Milan (powered by ioki technology)

It is spelled ‘Wayla’, but it is read ‘uei là’, (something similar to a ‘hello’ in Milanese dialect), to be clear. And it is precisely in Milan that the newly-founded Italian startup Wayla will make its debut in October, launching an on-demand, shared transport service, which will initially count on a mini fleet of five vehicles, Fiat Ducato equipped by Olmedo and diesel-powered, with a capacity of 14 passengers each.

The project is the result of a cooperation between the startup Wayla (in charge of operation of the shuttles) with DB-owned Ioki, specializing in on-demand mobility, that provides booking and route planning as well as powers the app.

Wayla: on-demand mobility from Milan to European cities

Milan is set to be just a beginning: the goal is that of “expanding to major Italian and European cities”, as ioki states in a press note.

The shuttles will be active from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. The minibuses will operate a door-to-door service without fixed stops and schedules. Instead, the algorithm developed by ioki automatically bundles passengers with similar routes into ridepools. Users will be able to request point-to-point rides via an app and share the journey in whole or in part with other passengers, optimizing vehicle usage. The aim is to integrate into the mobility systems of large cities, contributing to an ecosystem that makes the use of private cars increasingly unnecessary.  

Wayla, powered by ioki, to be launched after summer

We had the opportunity to meet in Milan Alessandro Villa, one of the five (young) founders of the project, who will be in charge of operations; Carlo, Michele, Mario and Niccolò are the other four partners who have decided to embark on this adventure in the passenger transport segment, which aims to fill the gaps in local public transport and private transport (taxis), offering a comfortable, safe and easily accessible solution, even economically speaking. The outcomes of such conversation have already been published on our Italian sister media Autobus.

Unlike other similar experiences, the peculiarity of Wayla is that it owns the vehicles (five to start with, as mentioned, with the aim of multiplying them and opening the doors not only to passengers, but also to electric motors) and wants to rely on employed driver.

Alessandro tells us that he is taking the exams to obtain his professional driving licence, so that he can take over in case of emergencies. After all, in the start-up phase, you have to make do and ‘get your hands dirty’. Moreover, the search for driving professionals is still ongoing, so those interested can apply.

The service will be active in the third ring of Milan’s city center. The target customer of Wayla’s proposal is made of young students and professionals, maybe coming from other cities and temporary living in Milan while not owning a private car.

“Living in Milan and reading the local news over the past years, it’s evident that there is a lack of transportation solutions available to citizens, especially in the evening hours. Wayla will finally offer a safe, economical, and sustainable alternative to residents and tourists, ensuring a quality service thanks to the direct management of vehicles and drivers and the unparalleled experience of our partner ioki,” comments Alessandro Villa, COO of Wayla. 

“Anyone who is out and about in Milan in the evening sometimes waits in vain for a taxi. We want to change that,” explains Benjamin Pfeifer, Managing Director of the software-as-a-service company ioki about the planned launch in autumn. “Simply download the app, register and you’re ready to go. We are sure that the people of Milan will be as enthusiastic about it as we are.”