Jimmy Cappaert

The end of Velo Mobile

On April 1st 2012, I will be shutting down the API that powers the Velo Mobile iOS, Android and web application. The iPhone application will also be pulled from the App Store. Anyone that seeks an alternative for iPhone, I highly recommend using VeloPhone.

I had an interesting couple of months since the launch of Velo, the public bike system in Antwerp. I was there at ‘t Schoon Verdiep when they did the official launch and was one of the first to actually use the system. I’m still pretty proud of my membership number 42.

I developed a mobile web application to check on bike availability, because that was something that was missing from the beginning. It got some exposure and Tom Nys developed a native version of it, using an API that I wrote after I did the web app. The press attention we got was fun, the user feedback heartwarming.

After that, I got contacted by ClearChannel, Velo Antwerpen and the cabinet of Ludo Van Campenhout, about making an ‘official’ app for Velo. I teamed up with my buddy Tom Schouteden, who had an app too. What followed were months of negotiating, tireless email discussions and a lot of free time allocated to it - which basically sucked all the fun out of it. In the end, even though I still think our concept and vision was by far the best, they decided on another application.

Although it was fun and I got to meet some really interesting people, the time has now come to shut down the project. All applications that use my API, including the website and the integration with Twitter and Facebook, will cease to work on April 1st.

To anyone that is inconvenienced by this, my sincere apologies. However, I have no intention to support nor develop a platform that is not officially recognized or backed by the city of Antwerp. The ideology regarding ‘open data’ seems to be something that is not on the agenda for Velo Antwerpen, sadly enough. 

Thanks.