Can MaaS change users’ travel behaviour to deliver commercial and societal outcomes?

Abstract

Mobility as a Service, or MaaS, is a relatively new business model that aims to disrupt the passenger transport industry by integrating existing mobility services into an intuitive smartphone app that allows everyday travellers to search, book, use, and pay for all their transport needs. In a fully integrated ecosystem, MaaS is envisaged to integrate not only travel information and payment, but also mobility services and societal goals to obtain the so-called four levels of MaaS integration. This paper describes the strategies used in the Sydney MaaS trial to obtain all four levels of integration and empirically assess the prospects of having a commercially viable and environmentally sustainable MaaS. Leveraging empirical data collected by GPS-tracking technology, ticketing management systems, and survey questionnaires over the five-month in-field trial of MaaS in Sydney, this paper develops a discrete-continuous modelling system to quantify, for the first time, the impacts of MaaS on users’ travel behaviour and extra volume/revenue for shared modes. Based on the quantitative evidence obtained, the paper suggests a new commercial model for MaaS and identifies the likely opportunities and challenges faced by MaaS integrators.