Sn-ap, a new start venture competing with National Express and Stagecoach-ownedMegabus.com with coach services linking the East Midlands and London, added a Bristol- London route from 29 January.
Sn-ap, founded in 2016 by entrepreneur Thomas Ableman, is backed by venture capital company Kindred Capital, which has also invested in a Bristol-based driverless car start-up called Five AI.
It hires under-utilised coaches and drivers from independent operators, with Berkeley, Centurion and Bakers Dolphin helping provide the Bristol service. Passengers book online, choosing from existing confirmed trips or creating their own custom trips and sharing them with family and friends. Trips are confirmed only when there is enough demand, which Sn-ap says guarantees lower prices than its competitors.
After every trip, passengers rate their experience. Sn-ap uses these ratings to allocate new trips to the operators that passengers like best. It says that 90% of its online reviews are five-star.
Ableman has spent the past 14 years working within the transport industry and set up Sn-ap after spotting a widening gap in the market. ‘Problem number one with transport is a severe lack of choice, which leads to high fares, …
