'Mobility as a Service' will change the way we travel, predicts Transport Systems Catapult

The consumption of ‘mobility as a service’ will change how many people travel and may see a move away from traditional car ownership, suggests a new report by the Transport Systems Catapult (TSC), the UK’s technology and innovation centre for Intelligent Mobility.

Mobility as a service (MaaS) is a new concept that offers consumers access to a range of vehicle types and journey experiences. 

Exploring the Opportunity for Mobility as a Service in the UK was commissioned by the Department for Transport to help define what MaaS is, how it can help people travel and what the future could look like once it becomes mainstream. 

The report states: “MaaS may be perceived by travellers as a ‘better choice’ and may change how we currently travel. In the future the private car may not be perceived as such a popular choice for getting from A to B.

The TSC is calling on policy makers and the private sector to work towards a shared vision for how to make MaaS a success.

Its report highlights what the future of MaaS could look like and how both policy-makers and the transport sector can innovate to meet the changing expectations of consumers.

TSC believes that consumers are increasingly expecting their transport to be delivered as a service and that the adoption of MaaS would also incentivise technological advances around improving journey experiences.

James Datson, lead author of the report, said: “MaaS is about using a digital interface to source and manage transport related services to meet customer needs. Key influencers are now talking seriously about MaaS from an innovation perspective, as it embodies what many of us working in the transport industry see as the future. 

“There are many opportunities ahead – it’s an exciting time for investors and for the travelling public. The private sector sees MaaS as an opportunity to offer customers better journeys, and the public sector can embrace MaaS to help address the UK’s transport challenges.”

The report suggests that the rewards of moving from existing business models that focus on single modes of transport, to the provision of flexible end-to-end travel services, could be significant. MaaS can address many of the ‘pain points’ in journeys and enable policymakers to ensure the more efficient use of transport assets.

Lucy Yu, the DfT’s head of MaaS and head of the government’s Centre for Automated and Connected Vehicles (CCAV), said: “The idea of buying and selling mobility as a service represents a profound change in the way we think about transportation. Although the market will not transform overnight, clear signs of a shift are already present as well as the possibility for joint value creation across the public and commercial sectors. MaaS offers a compelling opportunity to help local and regional areas meet their policy objectives in relation to the economy, congestion and pollution, as well as a potential means for re-framing how government subsidises and provides public transport services in the future.”

The report can be downloaded here