At the ITS World Congress in Copenhagen, which is being hosted by ERTICO – ITS Europe, the international Mobility as a Service association MaaS Alliance formed a new partnership with ITS America so that both organizations can share global best practices and avoid duplication of work.
Conceived by Sampo Hietanen, now the CEO of MaaS Global, and developed in Finland, the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) concept envisages the integration of multiple forms of transport into a single mobility service accessible on demand and with a single payment channel.
The MaaS Alliance was established as a European initiative three years ago at the ITS World Congress in Bordeaux. Since then MaaS has picked up traction globally and the new collaboration is a next natural step for the MaaS Alliance and its counterparts in the USA to further develop this mobility model and the ecosystem around it.
The MaaS Alliance will help ensure ITS America uses best practices and avoids project duplication as it builds a Mobility on Demand Alliance (MODA) to coordinate and develop seamless mobility in the USA.
A newly established ITS America MOD Task Force will guide the formation of the MODA, which, once launched, will promote an innovative, customer-focused approach to transportation that uses technology, mobility services, real-time data, transit and intelligent transportation systems to provide improved mobility options for all.
Chris Murray, president and CEO of Kapsch TrafficCom North America, and Roger Millar, secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), will serve as the ITS America MOD Task Force co-chairs. ITS America says the formation of the MODA illustrates the organization’s commitment to the safe and seamless movement of people, data and freight in the 21st century.
“We are thrilled to bring together the public and private sector partners that are shaping the future of Mobility as a Service,” said Shailen Bhatt, president and CEO of ITS America. “In addition to helping people figure out the most cost and time effective way to get around, we will collectively create smarter, more livable communities in which traffic flows more easily.”
Jacob Bangsgaard, CEO of ERTICO – ITS Europe and president of the MaaS Alliance, commented, “The MaaS Alliance has been such a success in Europe and beyond, because people want smarter and more customized mobility solutions. We are excited to partner with ITS America as it embarks on a similar journey in the USA.”
