MaaS in Manchester: the journey continues

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is one of the first authorities in the UK to develop a business model and research and development project for MaaS (Mobility as a Service). Felicity Heathcote-Marcz, cyborg ethnographer, Intelligent Mobility, SNC-Lavalin/Atkins, reports on progress to date

Following the trial, 26% of participants were more willing to use public transport, and 21% were more willing to cycle and walk

Following the trial, 26% of participants were more willing to use public transport, and 21% were more willing to cycle and walk

A team drawn from TfGM and Atkins/SNC-Lavalin was the ‘go to’ point for personalised journey management

A team drawn from TfGM and Atkins/SNC-Lavalin was the ‘go to’ point for personalised journey management

TfGM oversees 2.1 billion journeys (59% in cars) being made across Greater Manchester each year, with its goals including reducing congestion, improving air quality and the availability, affordability and reliability of public transport. Although public transport patronage has increased in Greater Manchester over the last five years, passenger satisfaction has decreased over the same period. These challenges set the scene for an ambitious plan to test if MaaS could make journeys across Greater Manchester easier and more enjoyable experiences for all residents.

From the initial plan one year ago, TfGM has worked with SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business to create a commercial and business case for MaaS, as well as testing MaaS viability in a real-world trial in Salford, Greater Manchester.

TfGM and Atkins/SNC-Lavalin worked to test the hypothesis that MaaS could shift commuters out of their cars and either onto public transport or towards active travel options such as walking and cycling to work. This work was done in collaboration with 13 partners (including local authorities, transport operators, service providers, local residents, and local businesses).

This work took a very customer-centric and human-centred approach from the outset. Rather than investing in an expensive or uncertain technological solution as a starting point for enabling MaaS, the focus was on understanding the viewpoint of the customer. 230 residents of Greater Manchester signed up to take part in the trial, with incentives including a free travel pass and personalised travel plans, and those who applied reporting sentiments of wanting to contribute to a positive change for transport in their city.

39 participants from all areas of the city, all working at three organisations in Salford (Media City, Salford Hospital and Salford Council) were chosen to take part in the live trial. Immersive research was used to capture rich data from participants, including in-depth interviews and ride-alongs with passengers, which provided insights into the key issues being faced by commuters day to day. Personalised journey plans were provided to participants each day, with participants split into two ‘persona’ groups. Seven modes of travel including buses, trams, carshare, taxi, bike share, on demand shared mini-bus and walking were all offered in the personalised journey plans. All these were available to participants through a single ticketing option, and real-time travel updates were provided along with re-routing during travel disruptions. Participants could request a journey change at any time during the trial service hours in case their plans changed, to make the MaaS service as flexible and convenient as possible.

A central control room was set up and managed by a team drawn from TfGM and Atkins/SNC-Lavalin. This was the ‘go to’ point for personalised journey management, live updates and disruption re-routing for passengers taking part in the trial, and a live tracking facility enabled by participants on their smartphones helped staff based in the control room to plan and re-route research participants when needed.

Based on the in-depth research which took place prior to and throughout the trial, a personal profile for each participant was created, and behavioural ‘nudges’ were sent to encourage changes in travel behaviour. A quarter of nudges were accepted by participants, with responses providing some fascinating early indicators of what does and does not motivate individuals to change their travel behaviours. 

The results from the real-world trial were very encouraging. There was found to be a strong strategic case for TfGM to invest in MaaS. Extensive analysis showed that MaaS could be a significant tool in achieving TfGM’s objectives, along with the wider city goals for sustainability and economic growth set by the Mayor.

Following the trial, 26% of participants were more willing to use public transport, and 21% were more willing to cycle and walk. This indicates that MaaS has the potential to create more sustainable travel behaviours (active travel modes and ride-sharing) which can help address the challenges local authorities face in urban areas. 

There was a 27% increase in positive perception of public transport; a high level of enjoyment was reported by participants from their integrated ticket and real-time information. This shows MaaS can improve public transport perceptions and increase patronage. 

TfGM and Atkins/SNC-Lavalin followed up this research with recent re-engagement with the trial participants, to track long term changes in perception and behaviour. Six months following the trial, 82% of participants interviewed wanted MaaS back. One third of car owners wanted to give up their vehicle following the research, and the majority of participants were willing to pay an increase in their monthly travel spend for MaaS. 20% of participants had incorporated active travel into their daily commute six months on, one participant moved jobs to be able to walk to and from work, and another stating that the MaaS trial “gave me the push I needed to start cycling again… I love it and I’ve lost weight”, demonstrating the positive externalities for public health outcomes possible with wider adoption of MaaS. 

This trial was an early intervention to understand user behaviour and user perception towards MaaS, which brought together a wide range of stakeholders to start building a MaaS solution specific to the needs of Greater Manchester. TfGM continues to encourage and facilitate this, identifying roles of different stakeholders in the MaaS commercial ecosystem and ensuring MaaS works for all. TfGM are also continuing to iteratively develop the business case for MaaS in terms of commercial relationships, the MaaS operating framework, the strategic case for MaaS and the financial model.

The future of MaaS in Greater Manchester looks promising; from the positive results of the real-world trial and the work that has been done to engage a broad range of stakeholders in committing to MaaS. TfGM continues to support MaaS for Greater Manchester… the journey continues!

Felicity Heathcote-Marcz will be speaking at Smarter Travel LIVE!