The concept of mobility as a service (MaaS) is rapidly gaining momentum, and it's no surprise. As urban populations continue to grow, traditional transportation methods are becoming increasingly inadequate. MaaS aims to address this problem by providing a more integrated, efficient, and convenient solutions for urban mobility. It encompasses a wide range of transportation options such as ride-sharing, car-sharing, bike-sharing, and public transportation, all accessible through a single platform.
The goal is to make it easier for people to move around and access the automotive and mobility services they need, without the need for vehicle ownership. In January 2023, Ubirider, the Portuguese company that provides MaaS platform, has teamed up with Mastercard, a global payments and technology company, to improve urban mobility. The partnership aims to simplify access and payments for mobility services while improving efficiency for operators.
Here's the complete story.
Latest News in MaaS: Ubirider and Mastercard Partnership
Mastercard and Ubirider, have formed a partnership to jointly offer digital solutions to public transport operators and agencies. Ubirider's MaaS platform, called Pick, includes mobile applications, cloud software and web portals that integrate payment, ticketing and operational resources. It offers state-of-the-art payment technologies that benefit users in terms of convenience while increasing efficiency for operators. The platform also combines the management of schedules, drivers, services offered, and communicating information to the public, as well as issuing tickets through different channels.
The partnership between Mastercard and Ubirider aims to expand on the early success of Pick in Portugal, where the platform has already been adopted by Fertagus, the operator of suburban trains in the Lisbon metropolitan area, among others. More than 30% of ticket sales were transacted through Pick in the first ten months of its adoption.
Pick also offers transport operators and agencies advanced contactless payment technologies such as Tap-on-Phone, a payment card industry (PCI) certified and secure software technology that transforms a smartphone into a simple payment terminal. In July, Ubirider implemented Pick Driver, the first Tap-on-Phone traffic application incorporated into its app for bus drivers in the city of Évora. Trevo, the city's primary transportation provider, was able to take contactless payments on its buses right away thanks to the technology.
Using the best combination of mobility services, users can plan door-to-door trips, purchase tickets, and travel to any location using the Pick Hub app, which is accessible on Google Play and the Apple App Store. The platform provides aggregated payment that is instantly dispersed by the participating operators, lowering both the administrative costs and burdens on operators as well as the friction and time associated with payment for passengers.
"Mastercard collaborates with partners all over the globe to make it easier for people to navigate urban environments. In that vein, we partnered with Ubirider because of both the company's digital and multi-modal solutions' close alignment with our vision and the Ubirider platform's direct attention to the needs of users and transit operators, both of which are rapidly changing, says Chapin Flynn, Senior Vice President, Transit and Mobility at Mastercard. "We look forward to driving significant innovations across the urban mobility space with the Ubirider team," says the company.
The CEO and Founder of Ubirider, Paulo Ferreira dos Santos, stated, "We have been working with Mastercard in Portugal for some time, and this agreement is the result of successful cases that we have achieved together, but it is also the result of our conviction that our digital mobility-as-a-service platform, Pick, is prepared to compete successfully around the world. Because of our partnership with Mastercard, Ubirider is able to keep up with the most cutting-edge payment technologies and take advantage of market possibilities around the world.
Future Growth Aspects of Mobility as a Service
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is expected to see significant growth in the future, driven by several key factors such as:
• Increasing demand for more convenient and efficient transportation options in urban areas is driving the adoption of MaaS solutions.
• Advances in technology are making it easier to develop and implement MaaS solutions, such as smartphones, internet, autonomous vehicles, and 5G connectivity.
• The growing awareness of the environmental impact of transportation is driving the adoption of MaaS solutions, such as reducing traffic congestion and emissions and encouraging the use of electric vehicles.
• Government and policy support can play a key role in shaping the growth of MaaS, with governments recognizing the benefits of MaaS and starting to adopt policies and regulations to encourage its development.
Consequently, MaaS is poised for significant growth in the future, driven by increasing demand, technological advancements, environmental considerations and government support.
According to BIS Research analysis, the global mobility as a service market was estimated to be at $39.23 billion in 2021, which is expected to grow with a CAGR of 25.7% and reach $379.66 billion by 2031.
Conclusion
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is revolutionizing the way we think about transportation and offers a more integrated, efficient, and convenient way of getting around cities. The demand for MaaS solutions is increasing as urban populations continue to grow and traditional transportation methods become increasingly inadequate.
Advances in technology are making it easier to develop and implement MaaS solutions, and the growing awareness of the environmental impact of transportation is driving the adoption of MaaS solutions. Government and policy support can play a key role in shaping the growth of MaaS, with governments recognizing the benefits of MaaS and starting to adopt policies and regulations to encourage its development.
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