We conduct research into how Mobility as a Service and Mobility as a Feature can improve the transport user experience and benefit our communities by providing a pertinent alternative to owning and using private vehicles.
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is a popular interpretation of future collaborative and connected urban transportation, centred on a changing society embracing a sharing culture which can satisfy our mobility needs without owning assets such as a car.
MaaS solutions improve the consumer experience with seamless connections and integrated payments through a single app. Users can use MaaS as a pay-as-you-go option, but what makes MaaS special is its mobility subscriptions, which work in much the same way as unified telco packages that provide users with a choice of data, talk and text amounts.
Example mobility subscription plans offered under the Sydney Mobility as a Service Trial
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LinkOver the past six years, the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies has been undertaking research into what impact MaaS will have on future societies. Led by the Director of the Institute, Professor David Hensher, Professor John Nelson and Dr Chinh Ho, the research aims to uncover what MaaS will mean for both consumers and suppliers in the future.
In order to orchestrate a successful, sustainable and reliable Mobility as a Service (MaaS) ecosystem, there is a need to consider a vast array of enabling frameworks. The adoption or support of any one framework in Australia is likely to have ramifications for all ecosystem participants. As a result, careful consideration of the many objectives that ecosystem participants may have is needed, in order to bring about the best possible solution and avoid an unstable, ego driven MaaS world. This project seeks to consider the (ideal) MaaS framework that benefits users and providers in a sustainable way. It acknowledges the many actors within the ecosystem, their specific value adding roles and potential barriers to the adaptation of a sustainable MaaS framework.
The project, run with the iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre and Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, will develop and evaluate a proposed framework that involves a tendering authority that is responsible for a common access platform into which competitive tendered MaaS consortium bids are assessed with multiple 鈥榳inners鈥 selected to ensure coverage of all multi-modal and multi-service products across the successful bid. Such an approach serves to give users choices and ensure a competitive MaaS market that appears well aligned with a new digital platform (such as AnyPaaS). A governance model will be developed that reflects the committed interests of the relevant stakeholders.
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Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is a centrepiece of the Future Transport Technology Roadmap of Transport for NSW (released in April 2021). Although we are accumulating a great deal of knowledge and experience in progressively introducing elements of MaaS into a metropolitan setting, there is a void in the context of Regional Towns and Rural Hinterlands (RTRH), with the generally accepted position that the metropolitan context is quite different to RTRH. MaaS in RTRH is unlikely to be built on a strong regular route-based public transport offer, and therefore car-based solutions are likely to be important in the mix with potentially more flexible forms of public transport services and possibly a different client customer base. In a RTRH setting, reducing social exclusion and improving well-being will come to the forefront as very important objectives that can be enhanced through a MaaS framework. The objective of this Project was to design a blueprint for future MaaS initiatives in a RTRH setting, drawing on experience in the Sydney MaaS trial, international evidence, and new data specifically collected with all stakeholders in the RTRH environment.
Project outcomes
View the 听or watch the .
Our recently completed Sydney MaaS trial study helps advance the knowledge in this space.
"On the demand side, we now know that every-day travellers are seeking in MaaS a way to save on transport costs and simplify their travel," says Dr Ho. "This raises the need for designing mobility bundles that balance customer experience with societal goals and commercial outcomes to create value for all."
"On the supply side, trust and collaboration among key stakeholders, together with direct involvement of public authorities, emerge as critical in delivering MaaS promises, including improved efficiency and environmental sustainability."
There is also a current imperative to understand the barriers to disruption. The five key barriers include:
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Hensher, D.A. and Ho, Q.C., (2023) Mobility as a service, new technologies, service-based travel, in Dimitris Potoglou and Justin Spinney (editors) Handbook of Travel Behaviour, Edward Elgar Publishing, UK.
Hensher, D.A., Mulley, C. and Nelson, J. (2023) , Transportation Research Part A, 172, 103675.
Mulley, C., Nelson, J.D., Ho, C and Hensher, D.A. (2023) , Transport Policy, 133, 75-85.
Xi, H., Liu, W., Waller, S.T., Hensher, D.A., Kilby, P., and Rey, D. (2023) , Transportation Research Part B, 170, 119-147.
Hensher, D.A., Nelson, J.D. and Mulley, C. (2022) , Transport Policy, 116, 212-216.
Hensher, D.A. and Xi, H. Mobility as a Service (MaaS): Are effort and seamlessness the keys to MaaS uptake? Online March 7 2022 as Editorial for Transport Reviews.
Hensher, D.A. (2022) The reason MaaS is such a challenge: a note, Transport Policy, 129, 137-139.
Hensher, D.A. and Heitenan, S. (2022) Mobility as a Feature (MaaF): Rethinking the Focus of the second generation of Mobility as a Service (MaaS), Transport Reviews DOI: . Also Mobility as a Feature (MaaF): Thinking Outside the Box.
Hensher, D.A. Two Mobility as a Service (MaaS) paradigms: Private Assets as a Service (PAaaS) with reference to the Private Car as a Service (PCaaS) and Corporate MaaS (C-MaaS), drafted 12 November 2022, a note for Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, revised 6 December 2022.
Hensher, D.A., Ho, C. and Reck, D. (2021) Mobility as a Service and private car use: evidence from the Sydney MaaS trial, Corrigendum to "Mobility as a service and private car use: Evidence from the sydney MaaS trial" [Transp. Res. Part A 145 (2021) 17-33]. Transportation Research Part A, 145,17-33.
Hensher, D.A., Ho., C, Reck, D., Smith, G., Lorimer, S and Lu, I. (2021)鈥, 245 pp. including Appendices A to I.鈥痠MOVE final report and a monograph, March 19.
Hensher, D.A. and Mulley, C. (2021)鈥疉 Topical Issues Paper,鈥疶ransport Policy, 100, 172-175. See also鈥
Hensher, D.A., Mulley, C. and Nelson J.D. (2021)鈥疶ransport Policy,111, 153-156.
Ho, C.Q., Hensher, D.A. and Reck, D. (2021) Drivers of participant鈥檚 choices of monthly mobility bundles: key findings from the Sydney Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Trial,鈥疶ransportation Research Part鈥疌, 124 (5). 102932.鈥
Ho, C. Hensher, D.A., Reck, D., Lorimer, S and Lu, I. MaaS bundle design and implementation: Lessons from the Sydney MaaS Trial,鈥疶ransportation Research Part A, 149, 339-376.鈥
Wong, Y. and Hensher, D.A. (2021)鈥, (presented at the鈥16th International Conference on Competition and Ownership of Land Passenger Transport鈥(Thredbo 16), Singapore August 2019),鈥疶ransportation, 48 (4), 1837-1863.
Hensher, D.A. (2020) What might Covid-19 mean for mobility as a service (MaaS)?鈥疶ransport Reviews, 40 (5), 551-556.鈥 See also a slightly longer version at鈥
Reck, D.J., Hensher, D.A. and Ho, C. (2020) MaaS Bundle Designs,鈥疶ransportation Research Part A, 141, 485-501.
Hensher, D.A., Mulley, C., Ho, C., Nelson, J., Smith, G. and Wong, Y. (2020) ''.鈥疎lsevier, 鈥疢ay 2020 (softcover and e-book). ISBN 9780128200445.鈥
Hensher, D.A. and Mulley, C. (Guest editors) (2020)鈥,鈥疶ransportation Research Part A, 131, 1-4.
Ho, C., Mulley, C.鈥痑nd鈥疕ensher, D. A. 2020 ''.鈥疶ransportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice,鈥131, 70-90.
Ho, C., Mulley, C. and Hensher, D.A. (2020)鈥, prepared for special issue of鈥疶ransportation Research Part鈥疉 on MaaS and Intelligent Mobility Guest Edited by David Hensher and Corinne Mulley, 131, 70-90.
Merkert, R. and Beck M. J. 2020 鈥樷.鈥疶ransportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 132, 527-539.
Merkert, R., Bushell, J., and Beck, M. J. 2020 鈥樷.鈥疶ransportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice,鈥131, 267-282.
Mulley, C., Ho, C., Balbontin, C., Hensher, D.A., Stevens, L., Nelson, J. and Wright. S. (2020)鈥疨repared for special issue of鈥疶ransportation Research Part鈥疉 on MaaS and Intelligent Mobility, Guest Edited by David Hensher and Corinne Mulley, 131, 107-122.鈥
Mulley, C., Ho, C., Balbontin, C., Hensher, D., Stevens, N., Nelson, J. and Wright, S. 2020 鈥樷. Transportation Research Part A, 131, 107-122.
Smith, G. and Hensher, D. A. 2020 鈥樷. Presented at the鈥16thInternational Conference on Competition and Ownership of Land Passenger Transport鈥(Thredbo 16),鈥疭ingapore August 2019.鈥疶ransport Policy, 89, 54-65.
Wong, Y. Z.鈥痑nd Hensher, D. A. 2020 鈥樷.鈥疶谤补苍蝉辫辞谤迟补迟颈辞苍.
Wong, Y., Hensher, D.A. and Mulley, C.M. (2020)鈥, paper presented at the鈥15th International Conference on Competition and Ownership of Land Passenger Transport鈥(Thredbo 15), Stockholm, Sweden, 13-17 August 2017. (Linked to VREF Centre), revised in 2018 for special issue of鈥疶ransportation Research Part鈥疉 on MaaS and Intelligent Mobility Guest Edited by David Hensher and Corinne Mulley, 131, 5-19.
Wong, Y. Z., Hensher, D. A. and Mulley, C. 2020 鈥樷.鈥疶ransportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 131, 5-19.
Mulley, C., Nelson, J. D.鈥痑nd鈥疕ensher, D. A. 2019 ''. In鈥疭tanley, J.鈥痑nd鈥疕ensher, D. A.鈥(Eds.),鈥疉 Research Agenda for Transport Policy, Edward Elgar Publishing. 鈥疘SBN: 978 1 78897 019 8.
Mulley, C.鈥痑nd Kronsell, A. 2018 ''. In Alexandersson, G.,鈥疕ensher, D. A.鈥痑nd鈥疭teel, R.鈥(Eds.), Competition and Ownership in Land Passenger Transport (Selected papers from the Thredbo 15 conference).鈥疪esearch in Transportation Economics, 69, 568-572.
Hensher, D. A. 2018 ''.鈥疶ransport Policy.
Hensher, D. A. 2017 ''.鈥疶ransportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 98, 86-96.
Mulley, C. 2017 ''.鈥疶ransport Reviews, 37(3), 247-251.
Mulley, C., Nelson, J. D.鈥痑nd Wright, S. 2017 ''. Paper presented at the鈥2017 World Symposium on Transport and Land Use Research (WSTLUR), Brisbane, Australia, 3-6 July.
Ho, C., Hensher, D. A., Mulley, C.鈥痑nd鈥疻ong, Y. Z. 2017 'Prospects for switching out of conventional transport services to mobility as a service subscription plans鈥擜 stated choice study'. Paper presented at the鈥15th International Conference on Competition and Ownership in Land Passenger Transport (Thredbo 15), Stockholm, Sweden, 13-17 August.
Wong, Y. Z., Hensher, D. A.鈥痑nd鈥疢ulley, C. 2017 'Emerging transport technologies and the modal efficiency framework: A case for mobility as a service (MaaS)'. Paper presented at the鈥15th International Conference on Competition and Ownership in Land Passenger Transport (Thredbo 15), Stockholm, Sweden, 13-17 August.
For a full copy of papers without links, please contact鈥business.itls@sydney.edu.au.
Bushell, J. 'Strategies for coordinating public transport ecosystems鈥擳he value of seamlessness and the future of smart ticketing platforms', PhD research on transport integration and system integrity. For further details of this study, please contact James Bushell at鈥james.bushell@sydney.edu.au.
Wong, Y. Z.鈥痑nd鈥疕ensher, D. A.鈥(and other authors) 'The role of autonomous taxis in future urban transport systems worldwide'. Joint paper with ETH Z眉rich, Bandung Institute of Technology, University of California (UC) at Davis, University of Connecticut, State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz, nuTonomy Asia, Southwest Jiaotong University and University of Chile. Paper submitted to鈥疶ransportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice. For further details of this study, please contact Yale Wong at鈥yale.wong@sydney.edu.au.
Wong, Y. Z. 'Integrated mobility services and contractual structures', PhD research using stated choice methods to identify the structure of broker/aggregator mobility contracts. For further details of this study, please contact Yale Wong at鈥yale.wong@sydney.edu.au.
Hensher, D.A., Ho., C., Reck, D., Smith, G., Lorimer, S. and Lu, I. (2021) The Sydney Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Trial: design, implementation, lessons and the future including Appendices A to K. iMOVE draft final report and a monograph, March.鈥
Ho, C.Q., Hensher, D.A. and Reck, D. (2021) Drivers of participant鈥檚 choices of monthly mobility bundles: key鈥痜indings from the Sydney Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Trial,鈥疶ransportation Research Part C, online 29 December 2020, 124. 102932.鈥
Hensher, D.A., Ho, C. and Reck, D. (2021) Mobility as a Service and private car use: evidence from the Sydney鈥疢aaS trial,鈥疶ransportation Research Part A, 145, 17-33.鈥 鈥
Ho, C. Hensher, D.A., Reck, D., Lorimer, S and Lu, I. MaaS bundle design and implementation: Lessons from the Sydney MaaS Trial, submitted to鈥疶ransportation Research Part A, revised 10 February 2021鈥 鈥
Smith, G., Hensher, D.A., Ho, C. and Balbontin, C. The user perspective on Mobility-as-a-Service: Insights from鈥痑 trial in Sydney. Submitted to鈥疶ransportation, 24 December 2020.鈥 鈥
Sarkar, N., Ho, C. and Hensher D.A. How does Mobility as a Service (MaaS) change travel behaviour? Submitted to鈥疛ournal of Public Transportation, 21 December 2020.鈥
Hensher, D.A., Mulley, C. and Nelson J.D. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) 鈥 Going Somewhere or Nowhere? Submitted to鈥疶ransport Policy, Topical Issues Section, 10 February 2021鈥
Ho, C., Mulley, C. and Hensher, D.A. (2020) Public preferences for mobility as a service: insights from stated鈥痯reference surveys,鈥疶ransportation Research Part A鈥痮n MaaS and Intelligent Mobility Guest Edited by鈥疍avid Hensher and Corinne Mulley, 131, 70-90.鈥
Hensher, D.A. and Mulley, C. (Guest editors) (2020) Introduction to Special issue on developments in mobility as a service (MaaS) and intelligent mobility, Transportation Research Part A, 131, 1-4.鈥
Hensher, D.A. (2020) What might Covid-19 mean for mobility as a service (MaaS)? Transport Reviews, 40 (5), 551-556. See also a slightly longer version at鈥
Hensher, D.A. and Mulley, C. (2020) Mobility bundling and cultural tribalism - might passenger mobility plans through MaaS remain niche or are they truly scalable? A Topical Issues Paper,鈥疶ransport Policy, 100, 172-175.鈥
See also鈥
Hensher, D.A., Mulley, C., Ho, C., Nelson, J., Smith, G. and Wong, Y. (2020)鈥疷nderstanding Mobility as a鈥疭ervice (MaaS) - Past, Present and Future. Elsevier, 204 pp. ISBN 9780128200445.鈥 鈥
Smith, G. and Hensher, D.A. (2020) Towards a framework for Mobility as a Service policies, (presented at the鈥16th International Conference on Competition and Ownership of Land Passenger Transport鈥(Thredbo 16),鈥疭ingapore August 2019) Transport Policy, 89, 54-65.鈥
Mulley, C., Ho, C., Balbontin, C., Hensher, D.A., Stevens, L., Nelson, J. and Wright. S. (2020) Mobility as a鈥痵ervice in community transport, in Australia: can it provide a sustainable future? of鈥疶ransportation鈥疪esearch Part A鈥痮n MaaS and Intelligent Mobility, Guest Edited by David Hensher and Corinne Mulley,鈥131, 107-122.鈥
Reck, D.J., Hensher, D.A. and Ho, C. (2020) MaaS Bundle Designs,鈥疶ransportation Research Part A, 141, 485-501.
Reck, D.J., K.W. Axhausen, D.A. Hensher, and C.Q. Ho Multimodal transportation plans: empirical evidence on鈥痷ptake, usage and behavioral implications from the Augsburg MaaS Trial; paper prepared for presentation at the鈥疶ransportation Research Board Annual Conference, Washington DC, January 2021, accepted for presentation 2 October 2020.
Wong, Y., Hensher, D.A. and Mulley, C.M. (2020) Emerging transport technologies and the modal efficiency鈥痜ramework: a case for mobility as a service (MaaS), paper presented at the鈥15th International Conference鈥痮n Competition and Ownership of Land Passenger Transport鈥(Thredbo 15), Stockholm, Sweden, 13-17
Hensher, D., Mulley, C., Ho, C., Nelson, J., Smith, G. and Wong, Y. (2019) Understanding MaaS: Past, Present鈥痑nd Future, paper prepared for presentation at the鈥2nd International Conference on Mobility as a Service,鈥疶ampere, Finland, November 2019.鈥 鈥 鈥
Wong, Y. and Hensher, D.A. Delivering mobility as a service (MaaS) through a broker/aggregator business model,鈥(presented at the鈥16th International Conference on Competition and Ownership of Land Passenger鈥疶ransport鈥(Thredbo 16), Singapore August 2019), Transportation,鈥
August 2017.鈥疶ransportation Research Part A鈥痮n MaaS and Intelligent Mobility Guest Edited by David鈥疕ensher and Corinne Mulley, 131, 5-19.鈥
Mulley, C., Nelson, J. and Hensher, D.A. (2019) Intelligent Mobility and Mobility as a Service, in Stanley, J.K.鈥痑nd Hensher, D.A. (eds.)鈥疉 Research Agenda for Transport Policy,鈥疎dward Elgar publishers, Chapter 21,鈥187-195.鈥
Wong, Y.Z., Hensher, D.A. and Mulley, C. (2019) Mode-agnostic mobility contracts: Identifying鈥痓roker/aggregator models for delivering mobility as a service (MaaS),鈥疻orld Conference on Transport鈥疪esearch鈥- WCTR 2019 Mumbai 26-31 May 2019. Also presented at the January 2019鈥疶ransportation鈥疪esearch Board Annual Conference, Washington D.C.鈥
Ho, C., Hensher, D.A., Mulley, C.M. and Wong, Y. (2018) Potential uptake and willingness-to-pay for Mobility as a Service (MaaS): A stated choice study, (paper presented at the鈥15th International Conference on Competition and Ownership of Land Passenger Transport鈥(Thredbo 15), Stockholm, Sweden, 13-17鈥疉ugust 2017),鈥疶ransportation Research Part A, 117, 302-318.鈥 鈥
Wong, Y.Z., Hensher, D.A. and Mulley, C. (2018)Mode-agnostic mobility contracts: Identifying broker/aggregator models for delivering mobility as a service (MaaS), paper presented at the鈥疉ustralasian Transport Research Forum, November 2018, Darwin. This paper won the David Willis Prize for best鈥痯aper.鈥 鈥
Hensher, D.A. (2017) Future bus transport contracts under mobility as a service regime in the digital age: are they likely to change? (Presented at the鈥15th International Conference on Competition and Ownership of Land鈥疨assenger Transport鈥(Thredbo 15), Stockholm, Sweden, 13-17 August 2017)鈥疶ransportation Research Part A, 98, April, 86-96. (Third most cited paper as of December 2020). Third most cited paper in TR A as of December 2020.
Hensher, D. A., Ho, C., Nelson, J. Establishing a Framework of Support to Scale Mobility as a Service, Through the iMOVE CRC involving ITLS and TMR, Queensland
Hensher, D. A., Ho, C., Nelson, J., Mulley, C., and Wong, Y. 2019-2021 鈥楳obility as a Service (MaaS) Trial: User Behaviour Analytics鈥. A partnership through the iMOVE CRC involving ITLS, IAG and Skedgo. 鈥
Mulley, C., Hensher, D. A.鈥痑nd鈥疦elson, J. D. 2016-18 'Mobility as a service: A future direction for community transport?'. University of Sydney Business School Partnership grant in conjunction with five Community Transport Organisations.
Ho., C., Mulley, C., and鈥疕ensher, D. A. 2018 'Public preferences and willingness to pay for mobility as a service (MaaS) in a UK context'. Report in preparation for Transport Systems Catapult.
Stanley, J., Hensher, D. A.鈥痑nd鈥疻ong, Y. Z. 2018 'Disruptive technology: A better future for land passenger transport? Bus and Coach Industry Policy Paper 11'.鈥疪eport in preparation for Bus Industry Confederation.
Hensher, D. 2020 'Transport of Tomorrow online: Mobility as a Service progress and new insights from an Australian trial'.鈥.鈥
Wong, Y.Z. 2019 'Showcasing ITLS: Shining the spotlight on our MaaS research.'鈥.
Wong, Y.Z. 2019 'Mobility as a Service (MaaS): An emerging concept in urban transportation'.鈥Download the seminar presentation鈥(PDF, 251KB)
Hensher, D.A. 2018 'Shared mobility and public transport鈥擜 new future!'鈥疨anel on shared mobility, International Transport Economics Association (ITEA) Annual Conference, Hong Kong, 27-29 June.
Mulley, C. 2018 'Prospects for switching out of conventional transport services to mobility as a service subscription plans鈥擜 stated choice study', based on a paper by鈥疕o, C., Hensher, D. A., Mulley, C.鈥痑nd鈥疻ong, Y. Z.鈥疷niversities Transport Studies Group (UTSG), London, UK, 3-5 January.
Mulley, C. 2017 'Prospects for switching out of conventional transport services to mobility as a service subscription plans鈥擜 stated choice study', based on a paper by鈥疕o, C., Hensher, D. A., Mulley, C.鈥痑nd鈥疻ong, Y. Z.鈥1st International Conference on Mobility as a Service (ICoMaaS), Tampere, Finland, 28-29 November.
Wong, Y. Z. 2017 'Bus contracts, business models and MaaS鈥擶hat might they look like?'鈥疊us Industry Confederation National Conference: Moving People鈥擬obility as a Service, Hobart, Australia, 12-15 November.鈥.
Hensher, D. A. 2017 'Digital public transport in an era of sharing and collaborative mobility'. Plenary opening address, Roads Australia (RA) National Roads Summit, Sydney, Australia, 31 May-1 June.
Mulley, C. 2017 'Mobility as a service: Where is it going?'鈥疊usiness Breakfast: Mobility as a Service, Aberdeen, UK, 26 April.
For full copies of these presentations, please contact鈥business.itls@sydney.edu.au.
