Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) should be seen as an emerging and quickly growing catalyst for environmental sustainability – in effect is becoming its own ecosystem. This basic concept is linked to that of sustainability, a key point of the OpenMove mission. This is why the user is at the center of the ecosystem, respecting the global environment.
Mobility-as-a-Service is based on the integration of several forms of transport services into a single mobility service, which is available on demand. This means that the driving element is the demand coming from the user, which is linked to her/his need to move freely. We have just rediscovered the extreme importance of moving freely, because of the restrictions caused by the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
MaaS comes to life thanks to a very complex software platform, but, according to the user experience, Mobility-as-a-Service seems to be just an app on a common smartphone. Using this app, the user can plan her/his travel, evaluating different alternatives and choosing the best for her/him. Then it is possible to book, pay and proceed with the real trip. The availability of affordable real time data and information help to manage unforeseen events or delays.
MaaS implies a public transport system that is closer to the user and her/his real needs, with a better integration, if we consider our private cars and the other transportation means. In our vision, private cars should be included in a MaaS ecosystem. In this way, it is possible to link them to the other mobility services and networks. This means that it is possible to achieve the global optimum. An example is a Park & Ride solution. Something similar is what happens when we park our car, going to the city center by underground.
In OpenMove, we think that, if we want to protect and preserve the environment, we need to think and act from a Mobility-as-a-Service perspective. We can all drive the change for a better world and this should be done for both us and the upcoming generations.
If we consider the huge amount of data involved, it is easy to understand that both privacy and cybersecurity are a fundamental asset for any MaaS ecosystem.