What the Document Is
This is a Summary and Conclusions paper from the International Transport Forum (ITF), an intergovernmental organisation with 63 member countries that is administratively integrated with the OECD. It is ITF Roundtable Report No. 184, published in October 2020 and cited as ITF (2021). It was prepared by Orla McCarthy with input from Rex Deighton-Smith, Philippe Crist and Stephen Perkins, and is based on a virtual Roundtable held 12-14 October 2020 plus four discussion papers. Its subject is Mobility as a Service (MaaS), a model offering a wide range of passenger transport services through a single digital customer interface.
Organisational Models for MaaS
The report sets out several models based on the level of involvement of public transport authorities and commercial operators:
- Commercial integrator, where a commercial actor provides the MaaS app after bilateral negotiations, including the "walled garden" variant. Whim and UbiGo are given as examples.
- Public MaaS, where a public transport operator or authority integrates additional modes.
- Regulated data infrastructure, where the public authority provides a shared integration platform. The report states that it is too early to identify the "right" model.
Users, Demand and Pilots
The report notes that MaaS pilot studies suggest users choose options based on convenience and quality of service, with environmental sustainability considered by approximately 40% of respondents in a Dutch cluster analysis. It cites a 2015 EU study finding that 78% of respondents used only one mode for their most frequent trip. It recommends that pilots last a minimum of six months, preferably one year.
Regulation and Public Transport Authority Role
The document applies pro-competitive principles from the OECD and recommends a light, flexible, outcome-based regulatory approach with periodic reviews. Examples include Flanders' phased MaaS agreement framework, the San Francisco proof of concept agreement capped at 12 months, and Paris's evolution from a code of conduct to operator licensing.
Resale of Public Transport Tickets
The report recommends that public transport operators have freedom to negotiate with MaaS providers. It cites modelling by Hörcher and Graham (2020) finding that differentiated peak pricing delivered a welfare benefit over flat fares while still yielding a profit for the MaaS provider, and it recommends efficient ticket pricing with peak premiums.
Data Governance
Data sharing is presented as central to viable MaaS. The report describes three reporting approaches based on levels of trust and cites the Finnish and French national transport laws as examples of data-sharing requirements. It recommends building common functional building blocks for interoperability rather than a single mandated standard.
Why It Matters for Urban Policy
The document is addressed to policy makers, particularly public transport authorities, that wish to enable existing public transport systems to be integrated into a MaaS ecosystem. It frames MaaS as a tool whose success should be judged by its contribution to public policy objectives such as sustainable mobility, accessibility and reduced private car use.