Multimodality is set to play an important role in the future of many European cities, including Antwerp (Belgium). By encouraging users to combine different travel modes and reducing reliance on cars, it can relieve congestion, reduce noise and air pollution, and improve people's quality of life.
However, when using the various forms of transport that they need in their daily lives, many people struggle with the multiple apps, cards, cash payments, and ticket machines involved. Indeed, taking and switching between various modes can become rather confusing.
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) offers a potential integrated solution to addressing these complex user needs. MaaS applications enable users to access a broad range of travel options via a single platform, such as trams, trains, buses, shared cars, bikes and scooters.
In Antwerp, MaaS has the potential to help alleviate major pressure on the city's (road) infrastructure. The challenging mobility situation this is causing is having a negative impact on the city's liveability and its appeal to tourists and businesses.
With the support of CIVITAS PORTIS, Antwerp is creating the building blocks for the successful establishment of a MaaS marketplace and providers in the city. This process falls under the “Smart Ways to Antwerp” (SWtA) project, whose development forms a major part of Antwerp’s work in CIVITAS PORTIS.
SWtA is developing various measures and tools to instigate a shift towards sustainable modes, change user mobility patterns, and improve travel times - both for passenger transport and in the logistics sector. Through this, it enables and inspires people to choose alternative mobility solutions where possible and facilitate multimodality.
Soon after the project began, it became clear that people are not always aware of the broad range of mobility solutions available or cannot find the information to make use of them. The need for a multimodal travel planner was obvious.
After several market consultations, it turned out that no truly multimodal travel planner was available that supported the goals of the city of Antwerp. A new travel planner was developed together with Be-Mobile, a market leader in smart mobility. This brings together the different transport modes offered within Antwerp based on various user scenarios.
Possible journeys combining cars, public transport, park and rides, shared bikes and walking are identified and presented to the end user through the website and a dedicated app. In addition, roadworks and traffic diversions are shown.
The next step in the app's development will be to allow users to set preferences. For example, people without a car will be able to filter out route options that include it. This way, the travel planner will give more personalised travel advice and become more user-friendly.
Whilst providing users with sound travel advice is crucial to changing their mobility habits, the proper and appropriate mobility solutions must also be in place. To ensure this, Smart Ways to Antwerp has set up its Marketplace for Mobility.
The Marketplace brings together a wide selection of mobility providers who each support the city to reach its mobility goals. Through project calls, and active communication and cooperation with employers, employees and entrepreneurs, the Marketplace also encourages the development of innovative solutions, such as MaaS.
Together with the existing mobility players and MaaS experts, the city of Antwerp is building up its knowledge related to standardisation, reporting, technical requirements, and the user experience. Together, this information is creating a picture of what the end user really requires and how their needs might be addressed.
It has become clear that for MaaS services in Antwerp to be efficient and successful, further collaboration between the different players and the city is necessary. In January 2019, Antwerp has therefore launched a MaaS-specific project call and will continue to nurture the MaaS eco-system within the city.
Mobility is a matter of convenience - people want to feel free to move around as they please. Through its MaaS-related (and other) initiatives, Antwerp is putting users in control of their travel choices, and realising the move to sustainable mobility in the process.
Read more about Antwerp's mobility measures in CIVITAS PORTIS here.
Author
Katia Kishchenko, City of Antwerp
