To Maas or not to Maas that is … The wrong question

As cities continue to grow, so do the challenges of managing the increasing demands for transportation. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is emerging as a powerful concept to address these challenges, focusing on integrating various forms of transportation into a seamless user experience. But while the primary goal in many urban strategies is to “please” their citizens and get people out of their cars, into public transport, creating as such the “livable city”. The discussion must expand beyond just the city dwellers, addressing also the daily rush to the city of people and goods without a proper alternative besides the car / van / truck. It’s time to consider all aspects of urban mobility, future urban planning concepts like the 20-minute city, the role of autonomous vehicles and the crucial role of central government in imposing standards and mandatory (real time) data sharing.

Understanding Mobility as a Service (MaaS)

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is a shift from traditional modes of transportation towards a unified, user-centric approach to mobility. Instead of owning a car, bike, or relying solely on public transport, MaaS allows users to plan, book, and pay for multiple types of transport services via a single digital platform. This includes public transit, ridesharing, bike rentals, e-scooters, and even car-sharing, all accessible through an app.

At its core, MaaS seeks to offer a seamless, integrated experience where mobility is offered as a service, tailored to the specific journey requirements of users. No more juggling different tickets, accounts, or apps for each mode of transportation—MaaS unifies these under one platform. The goal? To make travel as convenient, efficient, and eco-friendly as possible, while encouraging people to shift away from ownership to using transport means.

The 20-Minute City: A Vision for Proximity-Based Living

Enter the concept of the 20-minute city. Cities such as Paris have championed this model, where all essential services—workplaces, schools, healthcare, shops, and leisure activities—are within a 20-minute walk or bike ride. This approach significantly reduces the need for long commutes, easing traffic congestion and creating more livable, human-centered urban environments.

However, the implementation of the 20-minute city can’t solely rely on public transport; it must integrate innovative solutions for all forms of mobility. MaaS platforms could enable residents to seamlessly switch between walking, cycling, electric scooters, or shared vehicles depending on their needs for a specific trip. Additionally, public transport must become more dynamic, potentially with on-demand shuttles and electric taxis supplementing traditional buses and trains.

The 20-minute city also has implications for urban freight. Decentralizing key services and businesses can reduce the need for large-scale deliveries, but smart logistics solutions will still be required to ensure efficient movement of goods. Here, we see an important role for automation and AI, helping cities to manage delivery traffic more intelligently and sustainably.

Moving Beyond the Car: A Singular Focus Won’t Solve Everything

Many cities are investing heavily in Mobility as a Service (MaaS), integrating different modes of transportation such as buses, trams, bikes, and ride-sharing into seamless digital platforms While this is an important step toward reducing urban congestion and making city travel more efficient, these initiatives often overlook a critical issue: a significant portion of traffic comes from commuters who live in the vicinity of the city, or in more rural areas at longer distance, and still rely on cars.

Public transportation systems, which these MaaS solutions depend on, frequently fall short in providing adequate alternatives this group of travelers. Limited train and bus connections, irregular schedules, and long travel times discourage commuters from switching to public transport. As a result, cars remain the default mode of transportation for many who work in cities, leading to continued traffic jams and pollution. While MaaS initiatives focus on optimizing mobility within city centers, they risk being ineffective if not paired with expanded and efficient transport links that extend to surrounding areas. A truly sustainable urban mobility solution needs to address this gap, ensuring that public transit becomes a viable option for those commuting into the city.

Central government steering will become critical

While most cities will keep focusing on serving “their” citizens, and each city will deploy its own MaaS platform, interoperability or integration with existing transportation systems outside the city context will remain limited.

Therefore, central governments will have to steer in standardizing the approach ensuring interoperability. For MaaS to reach its full potential, open standards are crucial. Open standards ensure that different transport services and providers can work together on a single platform, creating an integrated, interoperable system. This enables the private sector to innovate and introduce new services, while users benefit from greater choice and convenience.

Without open standards, MaaS risks becoming fragmented, with competing systems that limit its effectiveness. Open standards allow for scalability across cities and regions, making it possible to implement MaaS on a national or even international level. For governments,

embracing MaaS and open standards is a key step toward building a more connected, sustainable, and inclusive transportation ecosystem.???

Sweden and Ireland showing the way:

National Distribution System - based on OSDM-Online

Samtrafiken's National Distribution System, was launched on March 5 2024. It is the first system in Europe to embrace the open and international standard OSDM-Online. With this competition-neutral standard, all producers have the opportunity to connect and the system will be connected to several booking platforms.

https://samtrafiken.se/services/national-distribution-system/

Smart Dublin publishes thought leadership on Mobility as a Service (MaaS) for Ireland

In April 2024, the Department of Transport (DoT) published its National Sustainable Mobility Policy (SMP) with an action plan to improve and expand sustainable mobility options across the country by providing safe, green, accessible and efficient alternatives to car journeys.

The automotive sector must re-invent itself and embrace the changed mobility needs

The automotive sector mainly keeps focusing on car ownership. New commercial models like Lync & co have shown limited uptake, and only partially provide a solution to the complex mobility demands of citizens.

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are poised to revolutionize urban mobility, potentially transforming how we move both people and goods. In a MaaS framework, AVs could fill key gaps in the transportation network, offering on-demand, driverless rides in areas underserved by traditional public transit. For example, they could operate as first-mile/last-mile solutions, connecting people from their homes or offices to larger transport hubs. This kind of approach would provide financially healthy and customer friendly, alternatives to bus operators who can’t foresee busses with the needed frequency at affordable prices in rural areas.

Beyond passenger transport, AVs could also streamline the movement of goods in cities, optimizing urban logistics. Imagine fleets of autonomous delivery vehicles coordinating with each other to avoid congestion, choosing the most efficient routes, and reducing emissions. By embedding AVs into MaaS platforms, cities could further promote the idea of a "shared economy" where transportation is a service, not a product, whether for passengers or goods.

While in the US, the Middle East and Asia AV’s level 4-5 have been deployed at large scale as taxi services, Europe starts to open the possibilities. While the UK recently approved the deployment of AV’s by 2026 some EU countries remain heavily relucted.

EU city urban infrastructure sometimes can be more complex compared to non-EU city centers, but the EUOEM’s should / could focus on scenarios as mentioned above to remain relevant.

The Future of MaaS: An Inclusive, Integrated Approach

For Mobility as a Service to truly succeed, cities must adopt a more inclusive approach that goes beyond simply reducing car usage. Key considerations include:

1. Integrated Transport Solutions: MaaS platforms need to offer seamless connections between public transport, micro-mobility (e.g., bikes and scooters), shared vehicles, and autonomous solutions. Every mode of transport should be accessible through a single platform, allowing users to choose the best mode for each trip.
2. Goods and Services Mobility: Urban logistics need to be incorporated into MaaS systems. Deliveries and services should be managed efficiently to minimize traffic congestion and reduce emissions, using technologies such as autonomous delivery vehicles and optimized routing algorithms.
3. Dynamic Public Transport: Public transport should become more flexible and responsive. On-demand services like (Autonomous) shuttles and ride-hailing should complement traditional transit systems, particularly in low-density or underserved areas.
4. Data-Driven Planning: Smart cities will need real-time data on mobility patterns to continuously improve their MaaS platforms. Data can help optimize routes, minimize traffic, and better integrate various forms of transport, ensuring that everyone—people and goods—moves efficiently.

OEM’s must adopt to the changed mobility needs and embrace the shift from owning to using cars and

1.????? Enbrace AV's: Within the EU boundaries evaluate the use of AV’s in rural areas to complement public transportation systems that fall short in providing adequate alternatives in remote locations.

2.????? Datasharing: Invest in datasharing with cities to enrich the city eco-system and optimize city operations.

Conclusion

The question is not … should we as a society invest in MaaS … the question is how we should invest in MaaS and who is going to bring together all key stakeholders on the terrain, which currently still operate to mush in a solid way, driven by current daily concerns.

To fully realize its potential, the conversation must move beyond getting people out of their cars and onto public transport. It must account for the movement of goods, the planning of more human-centered spaces like the 20-minute city, and the integration of emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles.

By doing so, cities as well nations will create a mobility eco-system that is not only efficient but truly built around the needs of their citizens.

Interesting readings on MaaS

https://www.uitp.org/news/gateway-to-seamless-mobility-uitp-and-sta-handbook-ticketing-in-maas/

https://maas-alliance.eu/

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/industry/mobility/travel-transportation

https://www.capgemini.com/us-en/resource/the-future-of-mobility-as-a-service-maas/

IP4MaaS – IP4 Mobility as a Service