ShuttleMare is back

During summer 2021, Rimini residents and tourists enjoyed a free, sustainable option for travel between the urban and coastal areas of this popular town on Italy’s Adriatic coast.

Traffic congestion and parking problems eased thanks to this joint initiative of the City Council, Rimining, the body that promotes tourism in the city, Start Romagna, the local transport authority, and Shotl as the software developer.

Apart from being free, the main attraction of ShuttleMare was the two large sub-areas into which the city was divided, one urban and one coastal. Transfers between the two were permitted, but not within the same area. This, therefore, facilitated the flow of journeys, reduced waiting and transit times, and improved the user experience. ShuttleMare proved a strong complement to the city's existing traditional transport lines.

The popularity of the service grew steadily, and occupancy quickly exceeded 1,000 weekly users, reaching over 2,200 by the end of the operation, whose date was extended due to unexpected success and demand. The number of vehicles was also increased midway through the operation to meet the high demand.

The new season of ShuttleMare began on 16th April 2022. The service, free again and starting with 3 fully-equipped, comfortable vehicles, was scheduled to run on weekends until June and then daily for the rest of the summer season.

In the words of Roberta Frisoni, Rimini City Councilor for Mobility, “ShuttleMare caters to all those who want to enjoy the beach and cannot get there. Many families, including elderly people that need an alternative way to move, are welcoming this new solution.”

The 2022 season was expected to be just as successful as the last, if not more so. At Shotl we are proud to have contributed to making this on-demand transport a reality so people can enjoy the beach for free without having to deal with the challenges of traditional mobility.