Ground Transportation

PhocusWire's in-depth coverage of the ground transportation sector, featuring news, analysis, interviews, research and more on car rental, ride-hailing, taxis and rail. 

In The Big Chair - Philipp Mintchin of Splyt
Interview / Technology
In The Big Chair - Philipp Mintchin of Splyt
By Linda Fox | July 17, 2019
Splyt began in London in 2015 as a competitor to Uber, but following regulatory roadblocks, it pivoted to the B2B service it offers today. Read More
India, part 2: Investors express optimism as travel market grows
News / Startups
India, part 2: Investors express optimism as travel market grows
By Mitra Sorrells | July 15, 2019
For the second piece in our series on India, we talk to some of the country's travel industry investors and entrepreneurs to understand the opportunities and challenges of the market. Read More
CarTrawler transportation for airlines apps
News / Technology
CarTrawler aims to help airlines own "first and last mile" through app enhancements
By Mitra Sorrells | July 11, 2019
CarTrawler’s new mobility platform connects airline apps with on-demand and pre-booked transportation options. Read More
startup stage spoton
Interview / Startups
STARTUP STAGE: SpotOn wants to make ride-hailing easy for pet owners
By Jill Menze | July 9, 2019
SpotOn is a pet-friendly ride-hailing service that matches animal owners with drivers to take the guesswork out of traveling with a pet. Read More
inDriver ride hailing launches in India
News / Online
Name-your-fare ride-hailing company inDriver adds service in India
By Mitra Sorrells | July 9, 2019
Ride-hailing company inDriver is launching in Chandigarh and says it now serves 26 million riders in more than 200 cities in 23 countries. Read More
India, part 1: A vast travel opportunity, now led by digital
News / Online
India, part 1: A vast travel opportunity, now led by digital
By Mitra Sorrells | July 8, 2019
For part 1 in our month-long look at India we explore the overall travel market and implications of the country's growing, young and socially-active population. Read More
How Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency might fit into travel
News / Online
How Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency might fit into travel
By Linda Fox | July 1, 2019
Concerns are not surprising given the probes into the social media platform around privacy and wider concerns about cryptocurrencies, but, for travel, there are a few interesting elements about Libra. Read More
taxi2airport-funding
News / Distribution
Taxi2Airport hails €2.2M in funding, plots B2B partnership growth
By Linda Fox | June 28, 2019
Taxi2Airport has announced €2.2M in new funding and plans to invest in extending its B2B partnerships as well as opportunities in Asia. Read More
Huangbaoche brings in $50M for guided tour driver platform
News / Online
Huangbaoche brings in $50M for guided tour driver platform
By Kevin May | June 27, 2019
The Series C round into the Beijing, China-based company comes just 15 months after another $50 million injection of capital in 2018. Read More
Booking.com CEO Gillian Tans moves aside, Glenn Fogel steps in
News / Online
Booking.com CEO Gillian Tans moves aside, Glenn Fogel steps in
By Kevin May | June 26, 2019
The sudden change at the top of Booking.com, announced today, is effective immediately and ends a three-year stint for Tans as CEO. Read More
splyt-grab-funding-partnership
News / Startups
Grab helps with $8M investment in Splyt to expand partnership globally
By Linda Fox | June 26, 2019
Grab and Splyt say their shared vision is for travelers not to have to download local transportation apps or fall back on hailing taxis. Read More
Airbnb rebrands top tier to Airbnb Luxe, adds dedicated concierge services
News / Online
Airbnb rebrands top tier to Airbnb Luxe, adds dedicated concierge services
By Mitra Sorrells | June 25, 2019
Airbnb is renaming its luxury tier of properties as Airbnb Luxe and is providing a dedicated concierge with each booking. Read More
rail-industry-white-paper
From Our Partners / Technology
REPORT: How mobility as a service is bringing rail to the forefront
By PhocusWire | June 24, 2019
Rail may not have moved as quickly into the digital age as other segments of travel but now is the time to capitalize on some of the early initiatives. Read More
Mary Meeker's annual report: Growing giants, next-gen data and super apps
News / Online
Mary Meeker's annual report: Growing giants, next-gen data and super apps
By Linda Fox | June 17, 2019
Many in the digital and wider industrial world await Mary Meeker’s annual trends report with anticipation for what can be expected for their sector. We look at the travel-related elements. Read More
Payments month part 3 virtual cards
News / Technology
Travel payments, part 3: Virtual payment tech and its impact on business travel
By Mitra Sorrells | June 17, 2019
For part three in our payments month series we take a look at virtual card payments and how they're used in business travel. Read More