Questioning mobility as a service: Unanticipated implications for society and governance

In this paper the authors focus on the development of a new service model for accessing transport, namely Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and present one of the first critical analyses of the rhetoric surrounding the concept. One central assumption of one prevalent MaaS conceptualization is that transport services are bundled into service packages for monthly payment, as in the telecommunication or media service sectors. Various other forms of MaaS are being developed but all tend to offer door-to-door multi-modal mobility services, brokered via digital platforms connecting users and service operators. By drawing on literature concerned with socio-technical transitions, the authors address two multi-layered questions. First, to what extent can the MaaS promises (to citizens and cities) be delivered, and what are the unanticipated societal implications that could arise from a wholesale adoption of MaaS in relation to key issues such as wellbeing, emissions and social inclusion? Second, what are de facto challenges for urban governance if the packaged services model of MaaS is widely adopted, and what are the recommended responses? To address these questions, the authors begin by considering the evolution of intelligent transport systems that underpin the current vision of MaaS and highlight how the new business model could provide a mechanism to make MaaS truly disruptive. The authors then identify a set of plausible unanticipated societal effects that have implications for urban planning and transport governance. This is followed by a critical assessment of the persuasive rhetoric around MaaS that makes grand promises about efficiency, choice and freedom. The authors' conclusion is that the range of possible unanticipated consequences carries risks that require public intervention (i.e. steering) for reasons of both efficiency and equity.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2019.09.033
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856418309601
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09658564
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2019 Kate Pangbourne et al. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Pangbourne, Kate
  • 0000-0003-2100-1961
  • Mladenović, Miloš N
  • Stead, Dominic
  • 0000-0002-3746-3573
  • Milakis, Dimitris
• Publication Date: 2020-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 35-49
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice
  • Volume: 131
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0965-8564
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09658564

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: City planning; Environmental impacts; Equity; Governance; Intelligent transportation systems; Quality of life; Shared mobility
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Data and Information Technology; Environment; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01722265
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 14 2019 9:30AM