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UK Parliamentary Report influenced by MaaSLab recommends government support for new transport apps
16 January 2019
‘Mobility as a Service’, a new report published by the UK Parliament’s Transport Committee, suggests the government should take a lead in supporting the creation of new digital platforms transforming how people travel.
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is a mobility management system allowing users a single means of planning and paying for travel using multiple modes of transport from different providers. A report on the subject, published by the Transport Committee of the UK Parliament on 19 December 2018, aims to increase public awareness of MaaS, show its importance to policy makers and clarify the Department for Transport’s role in its development in the UK.
Earlier this year, the committee invited Dr Maria Kamargianni from UCL Energy Institute’s MaaSlab research group to give evidence. Among their findings, they cite Dr Kamargianni's research showing that ‘simply offering bike use as a modal option within a MaaS app has led to people cycling more’*, which could help the government achieve the targets of its Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.
In their summary, the committee sets out the ways in which MaaS could revolutionise how people travel, with the potential for huge benefits for reducing congestion and pollution, promoting exercise and developing new modes of transport such as autonomous vehicles. But they also warn that if the government allows competing schemes to develop without oversight, it could actually exacerbate congestion and lead to social exclusion.
The report recommends greater direct government support for research into MaaS, its development, implementation and effects. It also asks the Government to look closely at its current regulations and guidelines to ensure passengers’ best interests and personal data are protected.
Watch the Transport Committee's short video on MaaS
More information
- Find out more about MaaSlab
- Read the Parliamentary Report Overview
- Read the full report from the Transport Committee
- Read the news story on the UK Parliament website
* Note from the report: See, for example, MaaSLab, UCL (MAS0022) and Deloitte Review, The Rise of Mobility as a Service: Reshaping how urbanites get around, Issue 20, 2017