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Italians are addicted to their cars. In fact, the bel paese has among the highest car ownership in Europe, ranking just behind Poland and Luxembourg, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. All of which makes it difficult for a new mobility player to break into a market so attached to their precious vehicles. 

But that’s not the only problem. Italy hasn’t always welcomed mobility upstarts with open arms. With taxi licenses tightly controlled, Euractiv has described the country’s taxi lobby as “mafia-like”. Foreign players such as Uber and Bolt have struggled to gain ground due to stringent regulations. The former only operates its premium Black service in Milan and Rome, and it costs more than a conventional taxi.

Despite the challenging environment, it’s clear that Italy needs more services that provide affordable, viable alternatives to private cars. A flexible service that arrives directly to a user could be key in a nation with a rapidly ageing, less mobile population. That’s where Wayla, a point-to-point van ridesharing service, comes in.

Operating in Milan since 2024, the €1.2m that Wayla recently raised through crowdfunding might be small change compared to global mobility giants. But it shows solid proof of public interest. Could this be the start of an Italian mobility revolution? Monocle spoke to Wayla’s co-founder and chief strategy officer, Mario Ferretti, to find out.

What market dynamics sparked the idea for Wayla, and how are you positioning yourself within Italy’s mobility landscape?
Mario Ferretti: Italy is peculiar when it comes to urban mobility. There’s a structural supply-demand gap, so we need new alternatives to move around our cities – and that’s where Wayla comes in. We are importing the idea to the country and defining it in a way that best fits our culture and is compliant with Italian laws. 

We are currently active in Milan. The system is simple: you download the app, sign up and then you can request a point-to-point ride in the urban area. Once requested, a van of ours will come and pick you up. During the ride, other users can join the journey, making it a cheaper option than other alternatives.

Italy has historically been a challenging market for mobility innovators, particularly due to the taxi lobby’s power and its resistance to foreign ride-hailing competitors. How has Wayla navigated this so far?
We are completely compliant with Italian laws, and we are an Italian startup with Italian employees. So our story is different from those of foreign companies. In a political sense, that’s probably why the market has been more welcoming to us than some of the other players in the past. Still, we are bringing competition where it’s needed – and it’s important to do so. We believe there’s room for everyone. There’s a huge and growing demand in Italy from both residents and tourists. Alternatives are needed.

A similar ride-pooling initiative, Moia, recently ceased operations in Hanover. What strategic or operational lessons have you taken from that example as you expand across Italy?
You need to have a clear vision. Moia is more focused on becoming a tech company [than us] and also more focused on providing autonomous vehicles. That’s growing in Italy as well, albeit at a slower rate than in Germany. Germany’s competitive landscape is also different from Italy’s. We have more space to grow here, and we are already doing well in Milan. We are planning to expand into many other cities, where both the municipalities and other private players are calling for us to go. We are pioneers in this country, so we also expect other players to follow us to the market, which is fine. We can grow together. 

How central are electric vehicles to Wayla’s business model?
We are growing a fleet of electric vehicles. We think it’s essential, and not greenwashing. Our vision is to be a sustainable model for urban transportation. We are already using EVs and we will be doing so more in the future. Italy is a bit lagging when it comes to electrification but our role as a mobility player is to push and invest in the decarbonisation of our fleet and that’s what we’re doing. 

You’re right that Italy is often seen as lagging in the adoption of new technology. How are you working with that perception? 
There’s certainly much to do when it comes to communicating the right things, even beyond our country. It’s the responsibility of everyone and anyone in the ecosystem. We need to attract talent, investments and ideas from abroad. There is room to innovate and there is space to disrupt. That’s what we are trying to do with Wayla – and that’s what’s needed for the future of our country.

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