MaaS modelling: a review of factors, customers’ profiles, choices and business models

Scientific Conference (2022, November)

Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) is regarded as one of the emerging solutions to offer integrated, seamless, and flexible multi-modal mobility services as an alternative to privately owned mobility resources ... [more ▼]

Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) is regarded as one of the emerging solutions to offer integrated, seamless, and flexible multi-modal mobility services as an alternative to privately owned mobility resources. MaaS gathers collective services such as public transport, shared solutions and other types of new mobility (e.g., on-demand ride services) and ancillary services (e.g., discounted parking) in bundles, accessed via monthly subscriptions. The key distinction between this system and traditional multi-modal systems managed by independent service providers is that payment for services is done through a single digital platform. MaaS is expected to change the way users will choose their modes of transport to reach their daily activities, and how service providers will generate profits, cooperate, and compete. From a wider perspective, MaaS is expected to favour a decline in car ownership and foster sustainable mobility, especially if the services increase the efficiency and utilisation of mass transit. To that aim, it is critical to obtain a thorough grasp of feasible and sustainable business models that suit the diverse needs of customers as well as the diverse and often competing objectives of service providers. In contrast, traditional transportation planning models typically assess solutions in a limited period of time (i.e., the peak hour) and use different simplifying assumptions (e.g., single trip-based choices, no interaction between service providers). This paper aims to provide a general modelling framework relating all main actors in the MaaS ecosystem and identify and discuss all factors that are considered relevant to define customers’ profiles and business models based on a comprehensive review of the literature. Gaps and challenges from the current studies are highlighted and future research directions are recommended. [less ▲]