The companies that attended the event on 26 September 2018 were given the challenge of making Mobility as a Service (MaaS) a reality for Zuidas workers within two years. There were more than 100 attendees, most of them representatives from the business community offering a wide range of mobility solutions. They included companies that offer shared bicycles and cars, taxis, as well as service providers and system manufacturers. Zuidas arranged the event to outline the requirements for the future product and demonstrate what has been learned from previous experiments, such as the Zuidas Mobility Experience. The requirements include the need for a single system for booking and payments that must be user-friendly.
Mobility budget
The fact that the trend towards flexible travel has already started and is being given a nudge in the right direction by MaaS was emphasized by one of the major Zuidas employers, Accenture. More than a third of its employees now opt for a mobility budget instead of a lease car and that figure is gradually increasing. With a mobility budget, you choose the most appropriate mode of transport, car or public transport, depending on your schedule. MaaS will widen that freedom of choice by including shared bikes and cars, taxis (including electric), Park & Ride facilities, and everything that the future has to offer. Accenture, RAI, and ABN AMRO all believe that their employees need greater flexibility in their choice of transport, which is why they plan to implement the Zuidas MaaS solution.
Quieter rush hours
In the near future, MaaS is therefore set to offer employees more freedom of choice. But there is more. MaaS could also mean that fewer people travel by the same mode of transport at the same time. That would result in quieter rush hours on the trains and on the road. The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management supports the development of flexible mobility solutions.
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