Mobility as a service (MaaS) and the need for greater public-private collaboration
The development of digital platforms accessible by users is another challenge of this sustainable mobility format, which will be a topic at the Global Mobility Call (19-21 November)
Mobility as a service (MaaS) has a long way to go in Spain before it is successfully positioned as an alternative to private vehicles, with users having access to public and private transport options managed under a single booking and payment platform.
This scheme involves everything from trains to electric bicycles, encouraging shared transport and technological development, and reduced congestion in cities and roads and the use of private vehicles, which in turn reduces the emission of transport-related pollution.
This will be one of the topics for discussion by representatives of institutions, companies and industry leaders during the third edition of Global Mobility Call - the largest international sustainable transport event organised by IFEMA MADRID and Smobhub, to be held 19-21 November 2024.
In some European countries, this scheme is further advanced, with applications that already offer people digital applications and platforms to plan trips using different means and by registering one single payment method. However, as some experts have stated, greater public-private collaboration is needed to promote it in certain countries - including Spain.
This involves the essential integration of data between transport operators, digital infrastructure and connectivity for users and an Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for route optimisation, fleet control and improved road safety.
There is also the role of another segment of the transportation and mobility sector, such as sharing service companies for vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles, which also form part of this format.
Collaboration and integration for MaaS in Spain
Examples of mobility as a service include the case promoted by Madrid's Municipal Transport Company (EMT) MaaS Madrid, to integrate the Spanish capital's public transport services into a single mobile planning application.
In addition to this, the Connected Cities project, which covers the cities of Valladolid, Valencia, Logroño, Gijón, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Fuenlabrada and aims to develop and implement a single common mobility platform as a service, for collecting, processing and exploiting mobility data in an integrated and interoperable manner.
In the second edition of Global Mobility Call, AUVASA (Urban Buses of Valladolid) project director, Alicia Valle Martín. explained that the project came about from the idea of user-centredness and management with a multi-city approach that incorporates a common objective and an open mind to sign up more cities.