Handbook published on the role of ticketing in enabling seamless mobility

In July 2022, 54 local public transport authorities (PTAs), transport carriers, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) aggregators and mobility solution providers, together with the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) and the Smart Ticketing Alliance (STA), published a Handbook on ticketing in MaaS. The handbook was based on the knowledge of those involved, which made it possible to produce a document that will help the transport sector improve and provide seamless mobility.

The Handbook, named “Ticketing in Mobility as a Service”, aims to define common principles and clear guidelines, as well as identifying the main challenges and solutions to ticketing in MaaS in real-world situations with the support of a variety of case studies. In order to achieve this goal, the Handbook covers, and provides relevant recommendations, in relation to: 

• Current gaps in digitisation, particularly in ticketing, at all levels (local, regional, and national);
• Lack of recognition of stakeholders’ needs and roles;
• Lack of regulation(s), trust, privacy, and competition issues with respect to data exchange.

MaaS con only be a sustainable option if services are created with sustainable goals in mind. In addition, all actors need to work together to create a collaborative governance framework, which defines clear roles and guidelines, along with MaaS cooperation models to be followed and implemented. In this way, transport users will be able to benefit from the benefits that MaaS can deliver in terms of seamless and sustainable mobility.

According to UITP's Co-Director of Knowledge and Innovation, Guido Di Pasquale, ticketing is a key enabler to developing an integrated, sustainable and innovative mobility system, as ticketing is the starting point of many public transport journeys. As a result, ticketing is one of the crucial factors that enables a functional, interoperable MaaS system. Hence, integrated ticketing is a pre-condition for connected transport systems. This requires data sharing, with clear and common standards, as well as a collaborative and coordinated approach to governance.

Coordination and collaboration amongst different players is also important in delivering seamless mobility and to supporting the right to move for all. This is also highlighted in the Handbook, which encourages all stakeholders, including PTAs, transport carriers, mobility service providers, MaaS aggregators and integrators, as well as public transport users, to join forces to ensure that MaaS can be the driver of greener mobility.

For more information check the Handbook.

Original article published by Intelligent Transport on 22 July 2022.