MaaS to pull us out of a car-centric orbit: principles for sustainable Mobility-as-a-Service in the context of unsustainable car dependency
MaaS to pull us out of a car-centric orbit: principles for sustainable Mobility-as-a-Service in the context of unsustainable car dependency
Many societies across the world have become dependent on the private car. Despite the benefits which come with having access to a car and the freedom which it has brought so many, car dependency is unsustainable. The emergence of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), a concept which promises to provide integrated multi-modal mobility with potential to rival the use of a private car, is hailed by some as a solution to the problems which currently exist within a car-centric culture. This paper begins by exploring why car dependency is unsustainable, highlighting serious social and economic concerns in addition to the environmental concerns often cited by those pushing for modal shift. A brief introduction to MaaS then follows, where it is noted that uptake of MaaS won't necessarily contribute to a more sustainable society or solve the problems of car dependency. In the context of a forthcoming large-scale MaaS trial in a car-dependent region of the UK, and building on existing literature, this paper proposes five principles for ’sustainable MaaS’. The principles take into account the need to move away from dependence on the private car, the need for access to employment and amenities, the need to minimise the impact on the environment and the need to be viable in the long-term for all stakeholders. The paper asserts that sticking to these principles could enable MaaS to support a shift towards a more equitable and sustainable non-car-dependent society, and makes recommendations for key stakeholders including governments and mobility providers.
Access, Car dependency, Equity, MaaS, Sustainability, Transport poverty
1483-1493
Pritchard, James
6eabbdbc-385b-4636-9bd5-c0ac239f2351
5 September 2022
Pritchard, James
6eabbdbc-385b-4636-9bd5-c0ac239f2351
Pritchard, James
(2022)
MaaS to pull us out of a car-centric orbit: principles for sustainable Mobility-as-a-Service in the context of unsustainable car dependency.
Case Studies on Transport Policy, 10 (3), .
(doi:10.1016/j.cstp.2022.08.004).
Abstract
Many societies across the world have become dependent on the private car. Despite the benefits which come with having access to a car and the freedom which it has brought so many, car dependency is unsustainable. The emergence of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), a concept which promises to provide integrated multi-modal mobility with potential to rival the use of a private car, is hailed by some as a solution to the problems which currently exist within a car-centric culture. This paper begins by exploring why car dependency is unsustainable, highlighting serious social and economic concerns in addition to the environmental concerns often cited by those pushing for modal shift. A brief introduction to MaaS then follows, where it is noted that uptake of MaaS won't necessarily contribute to a more sustainable society or solve the problems of car dependency. In the context of a forthcoming large-scale MaaS trial in a car-dependent region of the UK, and building on existing literature, this paper proposes five principles for ’sustainable MaaS’. The principles take into account the need to move away from dependence on the private car, the need for access to employment and amenities, the need to minimise the impact on the environment and the need to be viable in the long-term for all stakeholders. The paper asserts that sticking to these principles could enable MaaS to support a shift towards a more equitable and sustainable non-car-dependent society, and makes recommendations for key stakeholders including governments and mobility providers.
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Accepted/In Press date: 8 August 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 12 August 2022
Published date: 5 September 2022
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
The author would like to thank Chris Hillcoat, Henrietta Howarth, Fraser McCloud, Rich McIlroy and John Preston for their time spent reviewing the work and for the helpful advice and expertise they provided. The Solent Mobility-as-a-Service trial, for which this review was conducted and the recommendations are primarily made, is funded by the UK Government (Department for Transport) under the Future Transport Zones scheme.
Keywords:
Access, Car dependency, Equity, MaaS, Sustainability, Transport poverty
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 484565
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/484565
ISSN: 2213-624X
PURE UUID: 3a523e0a-02ca-4c2f-ad68-8b9eae8b5131
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Date deposited: 16 Nov 2023 17:50
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 21:53
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Author:
James Pritchard
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