In happiest place on Earth, a startup is targeting car addiction

Commuters at a tram stop in Helsinki, Finland, on March 8, 2021. Both Whim and Wondo work as route planners, suggesting the best way to get from A to B, and offer the option of buying tickets or booking vehicles within their apps. On top of pay-as-you-go plans, Whim has monthly subscriptions – much like Netflix for entertainment. — Bloomberg

The idea is simple: a transport service that’s so good, you’ll never need a car again.

It’s what Finnish startup MaaS Global Oy has been working toward since 2015. The company has developed a mobile app, Whim, that’s already being used in several European cities and in Tokyo. In the capital of Finland, the world’s happiest country, 12% of users already say it’s prompted them to give up their cars, with as many again saying they plan to.