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The Helsinki Regional Transport (HRT) board has approved terms for offering its public transport services as part of Finland’s expanding Mobility as a Service (MaaS) network.

The newly established contract with MaaS Global will make HRT the world’s first capital city regional transport provider to offer MaaS services to its customers.

MaaS Global’s multimodal mobility smartphone application now includes HRT’s public transport services, as well as taxis and rental cars for a fixed monthly price of €249. Whim, which was released in October in the Helsinki region, is initially available for a limited group of test users. A pay-as-you-go (PAYG) alternative will also be introduced toward the end of 2016, giving Helsinki citizens the opportunity to test the service without commitment.

The Whim app gives people instant access to several forms of transport, from brand new cars to taxis, buses, trains and bike share. The app also syncs with the users’ calendar, helping them plan journeys in advance, and can also be used to find the best places to go to, ‘on a whim’, at the press of a button.

The CEO and founder of MaaS Global, Sampo Hietanen said: “We want to realise people’s dreams of true freedom of mobility.

“HRT’s bold and open-minded move confirms Helsinki and Finland’s position as a pioneer in mobility services. HRT is a fine example to international transport providers. Our shared goal is to offer a viable alternative to today’s car owners, which enables them to combine public transport and a car as needed.”

MaaS Global has said that the next step is fast global expansion, with two more cities to be added this year, and many more lined up to join the system in 2017. MaaS Global says the next step is fast global expansion, with two more cities to be added this year, and many more lined up to join the system in 2017.