Mobility as a Service: A Value Proposition

November 10, 2022

Mobility as a Service is a concept designed to focus on an individual's need to get from A to B through sustainable service models that provide transport solutions without ownership or arduous transport construction.

Routinely shortened to MaaS, the notion refers to the idea of integrating both transport and transport-related services into one single on-demand mobility service, often using buses and accompanying technology.

MaaS is tailor-made transport that's ready when you are. It's adaptable, dependable and flexible, importantly aligning to modern consumer expectations. It's often streamlined into one single application and single payment channel.

 

MaaS Alliance

The MaaS alliance is a leading European public-private partnership that operates in the pursuit of societal betterment by establishing foundations for a common approach to MaaS. It coordinates input and research required for the successful implementation of MaaS globally.

It is formed by various members, including public authorities, transport/mobility service providers, technology solution providers and consultancy/innovation providers.

The European-born MaaS alliance is representative of that continent leading the way for MaaS implementation, with an abundance of transport mobility objectives already flourishing in the region.

Zuzana Pucikova, head of EU public policy at the pioneering venture Uber said Mobility as a Service will provide the most sustainable path forward for transport.

"A sustainable, multimodal and inclusive mobility network, centred around public transport in concert with ride-hailing and active mobility, is crucial to help dependency on private cars," she said.

"MaaS can help tie all these together more seamlessly, ensuring more equitable and environmentally sustainable cities for all."

Notably, MaaS is a concept with forward-thinking, innovative practices that promote a solid value proposition for transport users, societal development, and importantly, the environment.

The cost of petrol, both to the pocket of consumers as well as the environment, is thought to be heading toward an untenable position. Most emerging MaaS companies, including Bounce buses operate 100% electrically, meaning zero emissions.

All around the world, standard, archaic public transport systems are declining in use and town planners are urged to act accordingly. In Auckland, public transport fares have been cut in half, while the New York subway is two-thirds as busy as it was pre-Covid, according to The Economist.

MaaS goes a long way to avoiding the diminishing the returns on existing road and infrastructure by limiting the number of vehicles on roads and is largely considered a sustainable measure for inevitable urban growth. Up to 68% of the world's population is projected to live in urban areas by 2050 and transport infrastructure ought to adapt through MaaS rather than constructing transport to
scale.

Deputy mayor for mobility in the City of Antwerp in Belgium says incorporating MaaS into planning "enables us to co-create an open mobility ecosystem, putting the user at the centre".