Quality Assessment Method for Mobility as a Service

The ongoing development of the concept ‘Mobility as a Service (MaaS)’ along with Shared Mobility contributes to the integration of transportation systems. Several MaaS or similar services are already in operation. The perceived quality of MaaS by the users varies significantly, and no general method is proposed to evaluate the service quality. This scantiness is identified as the research gap. The objective of the research is to elaborate a quantitative method to assess MaaS services. The research question is how to assess the quality of MaaS, and how to transform the qualitative description into quantitative numerical values, namely, the quality index and the level of quality. Since user expectations towards the importance of criteria are taken into consideration, the modified triangular fuzzy analytic hierarchy process method is introduced to calculate the weights of criteria. A quantitative method to calculate the quality index and to assign the quality level has been elaborated. Ten MaaS services are assessed with the method. It was found that the journey comfort is regarded with significant importance among the respondents. Furthermore, the quality index of MaaS services is not high; accordingly, the service quality requires continuous improvement. Our method facilitates decision-making when planning MaaS to identify the expected service attributes.</p

Information Management for Mobility-as-a-Service Based on Autonomous Vehicles

The Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) concept is proposed to facilitate integration of transport modes regarding personalized journey planning and payment. When conventional vehicles are replaced by autonomous road vehicles (AVs) in MaaS, the information management processes alter significantly. The research questions were: how to model, design, and operate the new mobility services based on AVs in MaaS framework, focusing on information management. System engineering (SE) principles were applied. We elaborated the system structure model, the data model and the operational model. The connections among models were also presented. A dynamic pricing method was introduced to conciliate the demand and capacity as well as to calculate the service fee in MaaS. The theoretical results are applicable during design of the new service

The potential of a Mobility-as-a-Service platform in a depopulating area in the Netherlands: An exploration of small and big data

This chapter describes a case study examining the potential of a community-driven Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform in a rural and depopulating area in the Netherlands. The aim of the 5-year project is to examine if a MaaS platform can be an effective and efficient solution to improve accessibility and liveability of rural areas. The potential for a MaaS is examined by addressing the current mobility patterns and mobility and accessibility barriers. We use a mixed method approach using a combination of small data (primary data) and big data (secondary data)

Emergence of Mobility Market Platforms - Case: Mobility as a Service in Finland

This master’s thesis studies Mobility as a Service (MaaS) – a recent phenomenon in the Finnish public transportation industry that has gained widespread interest both in Finland and globally. At the core of MaaS are new mobility operators that facilitate interaction between transportation service providers and users by bundling existing services into mobility packages that enable so-called door-to-door travel. This bundling is facilitated by digital platforms, which allow users to compare alternative transportation services and purchase travel chains in one go. The empirical purpose of this master’s thesis was to describe and analyze the concept of Mobility as a Service and its development in Finland. Two primary research questions were asked: (1) What kind of mobility systems are currently emerging around the Mobility as a Service ideology inFinland? (2) How do the emerging mobility systems co-create value with their end users? To this end, two MaaS pilots and two startups were studied. The purpose was on one hand to describe these initiatives at a general level, and on the other hand to analyze how they co-create value with their end users. The research was conducted as a qualitative, multiple-case study, and the primary data collection method was semi-structured interviews. The theoretical purpose of this research was to bridge two streams of literature: platform theory and Service Science. Both literatures are relevant to studying Mobility as a Service, as both are involved in exploring services and the role of ICT and data in service innovation. Both literatures were reviewed in an effort to find relevant concepts and theory frameworks that could allow creating conceptual links between the two theories. As a result, a theory framework was created that brings together the technological-managerial perspective of platform theory and the value co-creation perspective of Service Science. The framework was then tested through analyzing the MaaS cases. The main empirical finding of this master’s thesis was that the all four MaaS cases can be classified as market platforms. According to platform theory, market platforms facilitate direct interaction between two or more actors that are affiliated with the platform. The MaaS cases co-create value with their end users by facilitating efficient resource exchange and integration between end users and transportation service providers. They do so by providing information about alternatives as well as maps, ticketing and payment tools and other structures that allow the users to view alternatives, plan journeys, and purchase service bundles. The findings are in line with extant platform and Service Science theories. With that being said, the cases are all at pre-market-penetration stage, and overall, MaaS is still mostly an ideology that awaits testing. Empirically, this master’s thesis increases our understanding of existing MaaS platforms and their development. Theoretically, the main contribution was the development of the platform framework that combines platform theory with Service Science

Making Mobility-as-a-Service: Towards Governance Principles and Pathways

Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) is a service concept that integrates public transport with other mobility services, such as car sharing, ride sourcing, and bicycle sharing. The core idea is that intermediary digital services make it easier for users to plan, book, and pay for complementary mobility services, thereby facilitating less car-centric lifestyles. However, although MaaS has gained much interest in recent years, the concept has proven difficult to realize. Accordingly, there is a prevalent demand for knowledge on how to enable and push MaaS developments.Conceptualizing MaaS developments as an innovation process that might contribute to a sustainability transition, this thesis sets out to improve the understanding of how public sector actors can facilitate action in the early phases and steer the innovation trajectory towards addressing long-term sustainability goals. The public transport authority in V\ue4stra G\uf6taland (Sweden), and its attempts to facilitate MaaS developments, is used as a starting point. Three of its MaaS-related activities between 2016 and 2019 are analyzed based on participatory observation and stakeholder interviews. Additionally, the thesis draws on two qualitative studies of MaaS developments situated in Finland and Australia.The thesis’ contribution to the research field of MaaS is threefold. Firstly, it explores expectations of MaaS. A majority of the actors involved in the studied MaaS developments reckoned that MaaS will support a modal shift away from private car use. Still, while some actors were confident that this will lower the negative externalities of personal mobility systems, others feared that it will reinforce social and environmental problems. Of note is that none of these views are yet backed by any extensive empirical evidence, the shortage of which is an ongoing challenge for MaaS developments. Secondly, the thesis identifies institutional factors that shape MaaS developments. The studied developments were enabled by novel information technologies and motivated by the need to lessen the negative impacts of private cars. Yet, the developments brought together actors that had not previously collaborated and challenged models of collaboration, business, and customer relations, which made them contingent on complex modifications within and beyond personal mobility systems. Thirdly, the thesis examines how the public sector governs MaaS developments. The governance approaches varied across Sweden, Finland, and Australia in terms of leading actors, methods of intervention, and underlying motivations, but were yet to deliver much tangible results for citizens in all three countries.Based on these findings, the thesis proposes principles and pathways for MaaS governance. The principles advocate a broad set of activities to address all the institutional factors that impede MaaS developments. In contrast to the observed governance approaches, this includes activities aimed at strengthening mobility services and active mobility, and at weakening the private car regime. The pathways describe four roles public sector actors can take in MaaS developments – MaaS Promoter, MaaS Partner, MaaS Enabler, and Laissez-Faire – and illustrate how the method(s) of intervention can be adjusted between innovation phases. The principles and pathways thereby provide a comprehensive tool for understanding and enhancing public-private dynamics in MaaS developments

Correlation Analysis Method of Customisation and Semi-Personalisation in Mobility as a Service

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) has been proposed as a user-centric, data-driven and personalised ser-vice. However, full personalisation is not available yet. Customisation settings are developed in mobile appli-cations, and several semi-personalised functionalities are also involved. The quantitative analysis of relation between these two could be the reference for further de-velopment tendency of interface functions in mobile ap-plications. Thus, the research objective is identified as: the quantitative correlation analysis between semi-per-sonalisation functionalities and customisation settings. Accordingly, the multi-criteria qualitative analysis method is applied to identify the assessment aspects regarding mobile applications. The scoring method is also introduced. Then the correlation quantitative anal-ysis method is applied to calculate the correlation coef-ficient. We have assessed 25 MaaS applications regard-ing determined aspects. The correlation coefficients for each application together with the overall coefficient are calculated, the assessment results are summarised, and the correlation tendency is interpreted. According to assessment results, the correlation between custom-isation settings and semi-personalisation is not strong at current stage. Selected MaaS mobile applications are customisation setting oriented applications. Fewer manual selections are expected in further personalised services. Our results facilitate development of further personalised functions in MaaS mobile applications

Quality Assessment Method For Mobility-As-A-Service Based On Autonomous Vehicles

The Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) concept is proposed to readdress the integration of transportation modes regarding information management, especially customized multimodal journey planning, booking, ticketing and payment. When conventional road vehicles are replaced by autonomous road vehicles (AVs) in the MaaS, the service processes alter significantly. Service quality reflects features of the service in an aggregated, objective way. Service quality assessment is essential for service planning and operation. The research question is how to evaluate the expected quality of this new service (MaaS based on AVs). We have identified the quality criteria, taken both user expectations and operator purposes into consideration. The Analytic Hierarchy Process method (AHP) has been applied to determine the weights. The service quality evaluation index system is established based on the criteria and their corresponding weights, a ten-point scoring method is proposed to score the expected service quality. One example is presented for demonstration purpose. The elaborated new assessment method is applicable to score the expected quality of this new service, to compare the expectations/attitudes of various groups (transportation experts, potential users, service providers, MaaS operators, etc.), in order to support decision making when planning and introducing such a new service

A scoping indicator identifying potential impacts of all-inclusive MaaS taxis on other modes in Manchester

We present a spatial scoping indicator of the potential impacts of an all-inclusive taxi service as part of a plausible but hypothetical Mobility as a Service (MaaS) package in Manchester UK. Our indicator identifies the number of people in each area who have some potential for mode shift from walking, cycling, public transport or car commuting to an all-inclusive taxi service within a MaaS package. We find the method quick and straightforward. In our case study, potential to shift from walk to an all-inclusive taxi service within a MaaS package is almost double the potential shift away from car, which represents a risk of increased car use

Mobility as a service-hype or the future of transportation?

While digitalization reshapes the traditional transportation industry boundaries, it is important to understand how technologies and different industry players begin to interact and where and how the new opportunities emerge. In this study, I examine Mobility as a Service (MaaS) – a current phenomenon and an emerging business model in the Finnish transportation industry that has gained significant interest on the global transportation markets. The overarching empirical purpose of this work is to understand the ongoing development process in Finland - especially in the Helsinki metropolitan area where the concept of MaaS is most developed. To address the research problem, the following research question is asked: How is the new business model, Mobility as a Service, developed in Finland? In order to answer the identified research question, I used the case study methodology and collected empirical data through nine semi-structured interviews and recently-published media articles about MaaS. Thematic coding was used as the central data analysis method as it helped me identify the common patterns in my data and group them under the bigger themes. For the purpose of primary research, literature on business models, networked business models and business model development were examined and integrated to the empirical findings of this study. My research concludes that MaaS is not a traditional emerging business model but rather a networked business model that is co-created in a network of actors. It emerges at the intersection of several concepts and ideas, multiple business models and technologies. Its core characteristics are: customization and personalization, an all in one mobility market platform, resource sharing and replacement of the private car. The development process of a networked business model is continuous and iterative by nature. The process begins with tens of independent firm specific business models evolving to the networked business model. Moreover, this research proposes that before becoming a fully functioning networked business model, the emerging model takes form of an opportunistic business model, during which introduction and testing of the emerging service happens. In addition to continuous iteration, involvement of new business network participants facilitates learning and identification of shared opportunities. Thus, this research proposes that the number of business model iterations and continuous involvements of new network participants are the core drivers of development