TECHNO TIMES...
MOBILITY AS A SERVICE (MAAS) AND ITS IMPACTS: THE TRANSPORTATION-MODE MIX
We’re at the beginning of a new epoch. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is changing the way we move in cities all over the world - and its impact is huge. This is technology bringing about a cultural shift in much the same way as did the proliferation of the internet or the smartphone. If you’re of a certain age you’ve surely marvelled at young kids swiping magazines or deftly navigating screen media and thought - they’ll never know anything other than the digital world. Hot on the heels of Digital Natives will be Mobility Natives - people who move seamlessly through our cities via a variety of connected transport modes, and they’ll pay rent to do so. So what does this new transport age look like and what does it mean for the taxi industry? This article will look at some of the key trends in Mobility as a Service and examine where taxi companies fit in.
MOBILITY AS A SERVICE: OVERVIEW
MaaS (sometimes called ‘shared-use mobility’) is an ecosystem for providing access to transportation services that are shared among users, including public transport as we know it; taxis and limos; car/ride sharing; shuttle services; and third-party provisions of a host of rentable transport, e.g. bikes, scooters and mopeds.
It’s a concept that’s grown at a pace in recent years, with a move towards environmentalism and a lesser focus on private car ownership and traditional public transport, i.e. trams, buses, and trains.
Transnational corporations (TNCs), ridesharing, taxi apps and traditional
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taxi companies will be the bedrock of an integrated MaaS ecosystem. With more and more young people not owning or leaving their cars at home, they’ll be turning to ride sharing and taxis to bridge the gap.
Cab company owners will have two options: to move towards the MaaS revolution or to be left behind.
In order to embrace this new age of transport you need to understand it, so let’s look at some of the key themes and trends taking place in Mobility as a Service right now.
URBAN MOBILITY AND ‘SMART CITIES’
When it comes to MaaS all roads lead back to the goal of enhancing urban mobility. Cities are busy places, full of busy people. Historically, the paradox has been that the busier the city, the slower its traffic becomes. But MaaS seeks to remedy this by innovating and solving problems related to how people move and consume urban spaces.
Maas is imperative to smart cities and is therefore high on the agenda of urban planning departments and regulators.
MaaS: • Provides more mobility choices, especially for both aging populations, which are less mobile, and Millennials who are eschewing expensive transportation options such as cars.
• Reduces traffic congestion and pollution levels.
• Reduces transportation costs and improves general city efficiency and accessibility.
• Frees up city spaces for urban recreational and commercial re- zoning.
Take New York, for example – it’s a hell of a town. It’s also the smartest city in the world according to the ‘IESE Cities in Motion Index’, a yearly report that measures the sustainability and quality of life in 180 cities around the globe.
In a recent talk on the Future of Mobility, Janette Sadik-Khan, trans- portation commissioner of New York City shared some of the projects that have reshaped street life in the five NYC boroughs. These include pedestrian zones in Times Square, high-performance buses and a 6,000- cycle-strong bike share scheme.
Amongst other innovations in NYC is the continuing growth of mobility via car sharing services and increased connectivity. In the first move of its kind, it is also planning to expand its taxi dispatch service for the disabled to allow wheelchair users to order accessible cabs. In partnership with iCabbi, this initiative initially ran in Manhattan. However, it’s now being rolled out citywide in a move towards enabling Mobility for All.
New York’s innovations include a citywide plan to place smart screens across the city, with partners Cisco and City 24/7 in an attempt to give all its residents access to the internet, alongside news, events, and couponing. Smart hubs with Near Field
Communication
(NFC) and Wi-Fi are also on the cards.
MARCH 2019
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