How much of which mode?: Using revealed preference data to design MaaS plans

Abstract

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) seeks to integrate emerging shared mobility modes with existing public transportation (PT). Decisive to its uptake will be attractive subscription plans that cater for heterogeneous mobility needs. Research on willingness to pay for such plans has commenced, yet remains divided on a central question: how much to include of which mode, and how? Complementing previous research building on stated preference data, we use revealed preference data to analyze the viability of different subscription plan components. We find that PT season tickets are viable for 83% of all respondents. In contrast to many current MaaS pilots, car-, bike-sharing and taxi use remains too infrequent to include as recurring credit in MaaS plans. Rather, pay-as-you-go is the economically more sensible option for consumers. This research therefore challenges the idea of all-inclusive mobility flat rates and suggests a more modular design.