Stricter rules for mobility providers published by Government

Mobility services will offer cheaper, safer and more accessible journeys, following the Government’s new Mobility as a Service (MaaS) code of practice. 

Published today (August 30, 2023), the new guidelines require mobility providers offer more streamlined journeys for travellers and commuters while ensuring the technology is accessible to all.

Technology known as MaaS is already in use in apps such as Citymapper and Google Maps and aims to bring together data, such as timetabling or ticket prices, from multiple types of transport to offer streamlined choices to travellers all on one app.

The guidance encourages app platform providers to consider accessibility needs when suggesting routes, which could include outlining wheelchair-accessible routes and stations and providing step-free options for all journeys.

The guidance also recommends that app providers consider the personal safety of app users when suggesting routes. For example, apps should allow people to choose “main roads only” options for journeys, keeping to well-lit roads. Apps should also be able to share their live location with a contact while on the move.

Further recommendations include ensuring apps consider users in rural areas where internet connectivity could make accessing online journey planning difficult. As part of this, platforms are encouraged to include offline options, such as a phone number for ordering taxis or claiming compensation for delays.

James Lancaster, chair of the Urban Mobility Partnership, said: “I am delighted that the Department for Transport has extensively engaged with industry to create the Code to ensure that programmes are deployed in a way that supports a shift to multi-modal travel and assists policymakers with their bold sustainability ambitions.

“The Urban Mobility Partnership has been at the forefront of calling for a MaaS Code of Practice to support authorities and operators in delivering MaaS solutions and we are delighted to see some of our recommendations around accessibility, the importance of data sharing, fair competition and the inclusion of sustainable transport operators within MaaS solutions, contained within the Code.

“It is vital that recommendations from the Code of Practice are recognised by transport planners and local authorities in their plans for MaaS solutions to ensure they are delivered in a way that places the consumer at its heart.”

Technology and Decarbonisation Minister Jesse Norman added: “New technologies are transforming how we travel, making journeys easier for those with disabilities and connecting rural towns and villages better, among much else.

“With the new code of practice, the Department for Transport (DfT) is encouraging app providers to make the most of the new technology, helping to ensure potentially vulnerable groups and communities are not left behind.

“MaaS tech platforms can make journeys more convenient by bringing together planning and payment into one app and allowing people to tailor journeys to their specific needs. It is also hoped that this could lower the cost of journeys for travellers, by ensuring more choice and competition.”

Examples of MaaS platform operators already operating in the UK include Swift in the West Midlands. Now the largest smart ticketing scheme outside London, Swift cards can be used as a ticket for train, bus or tram services, as well as car parking and season tickets. The scheme has 190,000 active smartcard holders with 45 million journeys completed over the past 12 years.

In 2020, DfT also awarded funding to Solent Transport as part of its Future Transport Zones programme to develop a transport app for the region. The new app, Breeze, allows people on the south coast to plan, book and pay for all journeys, including public transport, cycling, e-scooters and ferries. It also provides information about how busy services are and suggests the greenest way to travel.

• There will be a special panel session as part of this year's Fleet & Mobility Live that discusses the challenges on the UK's adoption of MaaS solutions, particularly rethinking how fleets approach transport and travel. Register for your free place at www.fleetandmobilitylive.com/2023-registration