Post exclusively written for kyyti.com by tech writer Jyles Brennen
The world may be lightyears away from developing flying cars, but the transport and mobility sector is making significant strides towards moving away from private and individual ownership of vehicles to a system that offers convenient modes of transportation. The rise of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) has opened up a way to unite the services of public and private transport providers, leading to a unified solution for serving riders.
Linköping happens to be at the forefront of this movement in its effort to be the first ever to deploy a city-wide MaaS operation. Eight stakeholders have banded together to create a user-friendly digital platform, an app that will make it much more convenient for citizens of the city to have a bird’s eye view of both public transport offers and the available shared modes of mobility. With this initiative, it will become easier for riders to select and pay between the shared mobility options. In addition, the project will also gather various mobility selections and tailor a trip, depending on the user’s needs. The app will feature nifty functionalities, including but not limited to route planning, booking, ticketing, payment, and real-time information on transportation options like shared bikes, rental cars, and public transport.
This project by Linköping makes it simpler for city dwellers to reach various places within the city. It makes one wonder if implementing smart mobility solutions in developing countries will work, especially those that are suffering from congestion. In fact, MaaS initiatives would work well in countries like the Philippines. Tech writer Daniel Ling explains how mobility in the Philippines is ripe for improvement: with over 10.4 million registered vehicles, congested urban sprawl, and a severe lack of mass public transportation, many are hopeful that smart and electric vehicle use for both private and public transportation can help ease the country’s perennial traffic problem.
Business MaaS notes that a transportation system designed around individual mobility would feature modes of alternative mobility that are already prevalent today, namely ridesharing or carpooling, bicycle commuting, carsharing — which allows companies and individuals to rent cars by the minute or hour — and on-demand ride services. By promoting and lowering the barrier on ridesharing, it could result in significant potential savings. Carpoolers can save on vehicle upkeep, and indirect savings will be accrued from reduced congestion costs. There may also be fewer traffic-related accidents, as well as carbon dioxide emissions.
Another nation grappling with too much congestion is China. TechWire Asia reports that in an effort to mitigate this prevalent issue, popular apps in the country like Meituan Dianping, AutoNavi, and recently, Didi, have opened up their platforms to various ride-hailing cab providers and cab dispatchers to make life simpler for users across the country.
MaaS essentially provides customers with multi-modal mobility solutions, be it bike and scooter sharing, bus bookings, cab-hailing, or even carsharing. Everything a customer needs to get from point A to point B, especially within city limits, should be on the leading MaaS providers platform. This effort by Didi and Meituan, which so happens to be considered “super apps,” will contribute to accelerating manufacturers’ (i.e., China’s Geely) journey to creating a future where their vehicles are provided as a service rather than a product. These new-age vehicles will be much more accessible, quick to test out, easy to use, and more convenient.
The rise of MaaS will ultimately benefit the everyday commuter. Soon enough, people can make informed decisions about how they want to travel and when they need to arrive at their intended destination. The migration from private car usage to MaaS will eventually reduce the long-standing problem of congestion and pollution in cities across the globe.
Image Source: Unsplash