MaaS is a service through which users are able to plan, book and pay for a variety of types of mobility services, through a joint digital channel. It is a shift away from personally owned modes of transportation services towards mobility provided as a service.
It is achieved through the combination of public transport, eg trains and buses, as well as private transport, and micro-mobility, including bikes and scooters, to get users from one destination to another. Users are able to pay for the service provided either on a monthly basis or pay per trip.

A new study from Juniper Research found that MaaS (Mobility‑as‑a‑Service) will generate revenue of $92 billion globally by 2027; up from $20 billion in 2022. Growing by 357% over the period, the main drivers will be the cost and convenience of MaaS solutions and the increased investment into MaaS infrastructure.

MaaS platforms provide consumer urban transport solutions, such as bus, metro and ride-hailing, all integrated into a single platform; enabling users to organise a multi-modal journey through one billing relationship.

Subscription Model to Boost Revenue Growth

The report predicts that, by 2027, 65% of global MaaS revenue will be generated through subscriptions – for a flat monthly fee, users gain access to a variety of transport services, providing a more cost-effective and convenient transit proposition. However, the report anticipates that the current use of an ad hoc charging model will continue to be crucial in fostering consumer trust; enabling potential users to trial MaaS journeys for a one-off fee. Ad hoc models enable users to pay for a single journey, rather than committing to an ongoing subscription.

Research Author Cara Malone remarked: “The ability to pay for a single journey in an app, despite leveraging multiple modes of transport, will create substantial cost savings for users, in comparison to individual transit services. MaaS platforms must promote these savings to attract users away from established transport services and towards subscription plans for MaaS services.”

Consumer Benefits maas services

Cost Savings

MaaS is able to encourage travellers to pursue other forms of transportation and presents a cost-conscious transportation alternative to the most used transportation mode at present, the private car. Car maintenance costs stack up over the year, taking into consideration insurance, repair, fuel and tax. MaaS has the ability to allow those who wish, to opt out of the car ownership paradigm and seamlessly adopt an on-demand solution that increases their mobility through other means of transport.
In many Western countries, it will be difficult for users to embrace this shift, as owning a vehicle is second nature and will continue to be sought after.

Personalisation

MaaS enables consumers to personalise their journeys in new ways which were not previously available. The data provided through MaaS will enable users to choose the optimal route for them, whether that be the cheapest, quickest or produce the least emissions, not only being beneficial for the consumer but also for society. The idea of personalisation combined with incentives will encourage more users to adopt MaaS services.
MaaS subscription services also offer another level of personalisation by providing the ability to pay for services as they please, either through pay-per-trip or using subscriptions. Along with providing the ability to pause a subscription for a small fee when a consumer feels the need, and re-activating it when it best suites them, putting the user in control.

Convenience maas services

With all transport services in a single app, consumers benefit from not having to search and compare services across multiple websites and platforms, as well as having multiple tickets in different forms. Not only does this provide the convenience of simple planning and ticket holding but it also introduces the option of users spending their commute or travel time more efficiently. This convenience of increasing time through the use of public transport can be used as an incentive in order to persuade those who are currently using private transport to start to consider public transport so that they are able to use their time more beneficially. In the Urban Mobility survey, 24% of respondents in the UK ranked convenience as the most important factor for them when it came to MaaS. Vendors should utilise this information to continue to improve on the convenience that MaaS provides; making it equally accessible for all users.

MaaS Driven by Increasing Urban Population

As urban populations increase over the next five years, transit planning authorities must consider the potential of a MaaS solution to ease congestion and reduce pollution from private vehicles. The report urges transit planning authorities to take a holistic approach to urban mobility by integrating MaaS into the wider smart city ecosystem to leverage real-time data from smart city sensors and maximise reductions in congestion and pollution.