Partner Perspective

New study “Mobility as a Service” on user-centric and climate-friendly travel in cities

‘The Innovative Mobility Landscape: The Case of Mobility as a Service’, published by the International Transport Forum (ITF) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), examines how Mobility as a Service (MaaS) can reshape travel in cities.

WGIC Secretariat July 28, 2021
New study “Mobility as a Service” on user-centric and climate-friendly travel in cities

The report further identifies the main regulatory challenges to create a healthy MaaS ecosystem that delivers clear benefits to people and aligns with societal objectives.

Key findings
Urban mobility is at a crossroads. The transport options offered in our cities create opportunities, underpin prosperity and connect people with each other. They also carry costs: in terms of safety, health, equity, efficiency and environmental harm – most fundamentally for the global climate. This new study shows how cities and businesses can address this contradiction. The study’s key findings:

  1. COVID-19 has temporarily paused transport trends, creating challenges and opportunities.
  2. Mobility today offers more choice, has more layers, is more digital – which may shift travel.
  3. Urban mobility has the greatest potential to decarbonize.
  4. Mobility as a Service promises significant benefits from integrating mobility offers.
  5. Mobility as a Service requires an effective framework for regulation and data governance

Thirteen recommendations
These key messages are underpinned by thirteen recommendations for decision-makers in cities, national governments and companies on how to adopt Mobility as a Service as a concept, how to enable it in practice and how to support MaaS once it is in place.

How to adopt Mobility as a Service:

  1. Anchor the governance of MaaS in a strategic vision.
  2. Understand how MaaS can add value for users.
  3. Guide MaaS to achieve agreed societal outcomes.

How to enable Mobility as a Service:

  1. Choose a flexible, light-handed regulatory approach towards MaaS platforms.
  2. Choose a predictable regulatory approach and allow for evolution
  3. Enhance public transport authorities’ and operators’ ability to negotiate terms of sale and re-use of tickets with MaaS providers
  4. Base data-sharing frameworks on the principle of “as open as possible, as closed as necessary”.
  5. Build data portability into the MaaS ecosystem by default.
  6. Consider common building blocks for sharing data.
  7. Establish data reporting requirements that are proportionate and targeted to outcomes.

How to support Mobility as a Service:

  1. Adopt complementary policies in other areas to ensure that the MaaS ecosystem contributes to desired policy outcomes.
  2. Invest in the built environment and interchange facilities.
  3. Public authority skill sets will need to evolve to improve their capacity to regulate and assess digital markets.

Young Tae Kim, ITF Secretary-General, said on occasion of the report launch: “Mobility as a Service means giving citizens easy access to a wide range of well-integrated travel options. If set up the right way, MaaS can contribute massively to make urban transport sustainable without limiting peoples’ mobility. This report offers practical guidance for public authorities and urban transport stakeholders to make this happen.” Thomas Deloison, Director Mobility at the WBCSD, said: “To decarbonize transport in line with net-zero targets, we need to enable a shift to lower-carbon modes and use vehicles more efficiently without compromising on people’s access to jobs, health and education. Mobility as a Service can reduce carbon emissions from global passenger travel by 5% to 20% while increasing transportation options for users. This report provides a blueprint for sustainable urban mobility and outlines the areas where business can help policymakers adopt MaaS at scale.”

Join dedicated webinar 
Interested parties can join a webinar and discuss the report findings with the authors on 13 September 2021, 15:00 CEST. 

Register here for 13 September 2021 Webinar
Download the free report