Mobility as a Service as a framework is pertinent to society’s ability to progress – from rendering transport more accessible in populated areas to promoting the use of more sustainable travel options and accounting for current market trends and growth.

MaaS: A sustainability initiative

Importantly, MaaS more often than not contributes to the global pursuit of reducing carbon emissions and therefore offers a more environmentally sustainable mode of transport – Bounce’s bus network is made up entirely of electric vehicles.
 
Transport accounted for 20% of New South Wales’ emissions and was the second largest source of emissions in the state in 2019.
 
The Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) outlines a plan to dercabonise all modes of transport, and expects the bus segment to ‘continue its year on year growth’.

 In Australia, there are 1,580 public charging vehicle stations, compared to 1,219 in 2020 (according to the EVC) and buses present an ideal way to ease pressure on the existing capacity for electric vehicle use by taking numerous private cars off roads.
 
The New South Wales government has also committed $595 million into electric vehicle development in various capacities pertaining to financial incentives, regulatory supply and awareness.
MaaS is viewed as a way to “effectively reduce the use of fossil-fuel based transport” models by the International Journal of Sustainable Transportation.The study also found that MaaS contributes to sustainable transportation “in a non-linear manner as a function of decreasing monthly subscription fees and/or increasing length of subscriptions”. This demonstrates MaaS’ capacity to become a long term solution both environmentally and economically.

MaaS is tailor-made and puts the consumers at the centre by providing flexible, adaptable and accessible transport options. It harnesses the modern consumer by incorporating ubiquitous digital products to streamline and simplify user and account and payment management, which also creates rich data to understand travel demand patterns and dynamics.
 
Up to 68% of the world’s population, including in Australia, is projected to live in urban areas by 2050. While MaaS in Australia is relatively new, the bus model again provides a sustainable path forward to easing the strain on existing and soon-to-be road and transport infrastructure.
 
The Australian Trade and Investment Commission forecasts the smart mobility sector to “double in the next five to seven years”, with Australia “becoming a leader in the sector”. 
The commission championed Transport for New South Wales for creating the Future Transport Digital Accelerator, which will enable innovators and startups to collaborate with the organisation” and improve the personability of MaaS travel.

MaaS takes into account the long-term societal, economic and environmental needs, while avoiding short-termism. MaaS options are safe, friendly, premium quality and are the emerging choice of transport and mobility.