MaaS and On-Demand Transport – Consumer Research and Report

Project completion date

June 2018

Background

MaaS and On-demand transport – Where are we at and what are consumer expectations?

Mobility as a Service (Maas) and on-demand transport have increasing profile and interest in the Australian intelligent transport systems industry. Increasingly, MaaS initiatives are being launched around the world and various options are being explored for Australia. ITS Australia’s Report, Smart Transport for Australia, identified three focus areas for MaaS including:

• Connected door-to-door services
• Infrastructure platform integration (to provide the service)
• Automated vehicles and systems to enable the overall transport network to operate efficiently

No integrated, full service MaaS offering, bundling public and private transport into a subscription service yet exists, though the information infrastructure exists (timetabling) and transport networks are well-developed and managed. Technology is bringing this reality closer, although it is a complex space with many stakeholders. A well-planned collaborative approach will maximise the benefits for Australia.

Project objectives

The project will address the following:

Where are we at?

• Scan the global scene and provide an overview of current international and domestic activity, including short to medium term plans for deployment of MaaS in leading jurisdictions around the world and Australia
• Collate and review of existing academic and consumer research where accessible and relevant.
• Working to understand the key enablers for the successful initial trialling and introduction of MaaS.

What do others think?

• A global scan of existing research on consumer expectations and perspectives on MaaS and on-demand transport bringing insights from overseas and prior research.

What do Australians expect?

• A new piece of market research that explores Australian expectations with regards to MaaS and on- demand transport, barriers and incentives to update, payment preferences.
• The shape of this research is expected to be informed by environment scan and existing research analysis.
• The survey questions will be developed in partnership with other project participants.

Australian opportunities

• What are the opportunities and recommended actions for government, industry and research institutions to ensure Australia can utilise and build on the report findings to maximise the benefits for the community.
• Information on different deployment models will be captured and insights relating to the pros and cons of these models in difference Australian contexts will be drawn out.

The output of this project will be a professionally published high profile report that leads the discussion around MaaS for Australia. This report will be distributed to ministers, high-profile industry leaders, media outlets and presented at industry forums across the year stimulating discussion on MaaS and the opportunities for Australia. It will capture a strong appreciation of consumer expectations and level of awareness and stimulate interest and engagement in this significant opportunity for Australia.

This study follows on from ITS Australia’s recent Smart Transport for Australia report and is expected to be part of a series of annual reports providing thought leadership across the spectrum of transport technology opportunities for Australia.

Update, July 2018: MaaS project completed and launched

Intelligent Transport Systems Australia (ITSA) launched the results of this project at its Business Networking Event, on 31 July 2018. Read more about the methods and findings, and download the report in our Mobility as a Service: does Australia want it? article.