Changing Mobility: The MaaS Transformation

The MaaS Consensus

There is a consensus about the future of urban mobility: Mobility as a Service or MaaS will be the primary way urbanites get around. The complexity of urban transportation is rapidly increasing and MaaS is the only solution that provides a viable response to this development. In short, the MaaS model integrates multiple modes of transportation into a single platform that allows users to select optimal routes according to their needs. MaaS focuses the attention back to the passenger while shifting the usage patterns away from private vehicles in favour of more sustainable means of transport. It is a manifestation of new thinking about how transportation services should be used and delivered.

Challenges: What stands in the way?

To reach this integrated future, we have to expand our scope. As most transport providers make decisions and develop a business based on current, local conditions, there is a lot of work to do. The fundamental principle underlying MaaS operations is to create a global service that increases accessibility to every local transport operator and thereby reduces traditional pain points like delays, congestion and cost.

There are two principal challenges among others that block this path. The first is data sharing. Operators must be willing and able to share information about their businesses in a responsible and secure way — and this includes customer contact. In other words, many operators are still hesitant to allow any third party or aggregator to communicate directly with their customers; however, this direct contact is often necessary to build a connected system. The second challenge is pricing. Changing the current pricing models to dynamic fares or subscription models is costly. There are also concerns about a resulting in poor user experience and subsequent negative responses from customers.

Malta: Meeting the Challenge

Despite these obstacles, Malta has become an early adopter of MaaS and an example of success. As one of the smallest and most densely populated countries, Malta has recognized the need for and benefits derived from a true MaaS system. This is in large part due to efforts made by Malta Public Transport (MPT), a leading bus operator on the island, that embraced the MaaS mentality since day one. MPT started the progression by creating the Tallinja Card, which helps frequent bus users cut costs. They then added new transport services, like ferries and tourism buses, to increase accessibility within the city and improve commuting for locals and the many visiting tourists. The result was a huge success, augmenting the ridership across all three providers among both locals and visitors. The positive outcome leads MPT to launch a sharing transport system that includes bicycles, motorcycles and taxis, which was done with the help of an international sharing mobility startup as well as a top taxi operator in Malta.

Offering a variety of transport options paved the way for a natural collaboration between MPT and Meep, a new MaaS application. Meep is a transport app that integrates all mobility services available in a city into one platform. Users can discover and access customizable routes that combine various modes of transport, including GoTo Car Sharing, NextBike and ioscoot motorcycle sharing, among others, in the same trip. Meep can accept single payments directly from users and distribute all revenues to each individual mobility provider. Meep and MPT have also launched ExplorePlusMeep, an all-access transport card intended mostly for tourists that can be used for nearly every mode of transportation in the city.

The addition of operators and the partnership with Meep propelled the Maltese mobility ecosystem to be one of the most advanced in Europe. One that is also undertaking to combat the overuse of private vehicles which leads to congestion and pollution. Malta is supporting a true modal shift that will improve the lives of its citizens and visitors by using the idle assets of the transport infrastructure and creating a more livable island.

What is next for MaaS?

If the future of cities is a MaaS system, what is the future of MaaS? How can MaaS truly evolve to be useful for everyone — even beyond city limits? This evolved MaaS system will eventually bridge city or even country boundaries by linking nearby areas through common mobility — a system in which several locations share the same connected online platforms and the same user-centric mobility conditions. This concept unsurprisingly presents its own unique set of challenges as individual cities will make different or even competing decisions based on local conditions and regulations.

That said, Malta is moving closer to this uniform, cross-country system by incorporating Meep. Meep will serve as a common denominator for transport. It creates a standard user experience and user expectation irrespective to the particular region in which it operates. The features and tools within the app will be recognizable to any users in any location, tourists or locals alike. The app offers cities the ability to begin merging as their populations steadily grow.

Conclusion: MaaS Has Arrived

The fundamental point of MaaS is to direct the focal point of mobility to the users with accurate, real-time information about all parts in transportation: schedules, routes, and available services including public transport ride sharing, bikes, parking and even walking. Doing so gets users to where they want to go in a faster and easier way, and allows operators to extend their reach and grow their customer base horizontally and vertically. A MaaS ecosystem offers cities improved mobility and users a way to travel according to their needs and preferences. Malta has set the precedent and is ready for other cities to follow its example.