MaaS_together

Urban mobility planning within the last decades was mainly defined by the use of traditional means of transport with focussing on the fulfilment of the three E’s (economy, efficiency, and effectivity). However, during the last years and accelerated by digitalization the mobility system has faced dynamic changes. New solutions like micro-mobility or innovative services such as ride-hailing or ride-pooling entered the market and provide attractive complements to the existing traditional transport modes. The providers of those new solutions are not only represented by well-established companies in the mobility sector, but also by start-ups. More and more new applications and offerings are expected to follow within the coming years, often driven by the motivation of the providers to increase the market share of their solution, without considering effects on urban (mobility-) systems.
Many initial scientific works focus on assessing how well-prepared cities are to implement Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), but it remains the question on how to select the most suitable MaaS system or component. There is yet no standardized process, nor a tool exists that is able to assess new mobility solutions, their potential influence on urban space, and how they perform compared to other solutions. It is crucial to help cities in planning and making informed decisions regarding the choice of suitable mobility services and identifying potential mobility gaps within their mobility system.

Project goal and contribution to research

The aim of the project is to face this research gap by developing a service for standardization and certification of MaaS-Components to cities and the providers of such components. The service will consist of a MaaS-Component Certificate as well as a MaaS-Planning and Assessment Tool, which can be used for cooperative planning and value creation between cities and MaaS-Component providers. The tool as well as the standardized certificate shall be tested and evaluated under real conditions by applying it within a MaaS-System planning project in the city of Tel Aviv. Knowledge transfer of the city of Helsinki will support the generated experiences and learnings. The development of the standardized certificate is planned within the first project year whereas the first prototype of the MaaS-Planning and Assessment Tool will be created in the second year (Approval for the second year is currently being examined by the EIT).

By creating a standardized method to evaluate mobility innovations based on different thematic parameters that address not only cities' challenges but also mobility providers (including the cities as providers itself), they will be forced to change their approach on how to design their systems and business models. The project provides a guideline and a structured process to offer mobility services thought for the community rather than for individuals. This will not only simplify the design of MaaS for cities but also provides a mobility system more sustainable and responsive to needs.