A web-based smartphone application combining public transport, car sharing, rental car service, taxi and bike-sharing services was piloted in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Gothenburg, Sweden
Benefits of Mobility as a Service: Evidence from the UbiGo MaaS pilot in Gothenburg, Sweden
Summary Information
UbiGo was a public 6-month trial of a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) model, undertaken by project Go:smart, in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. The project was developed as an attempt to create better conditions for sustainable travel by demonstrating how new business models and partnerships can reduce the need for private car ownership in favor of seamlessness, multimodality, and use of information technology. The UbiGo model achieved this through a web-based smartphone application that combines public transport, car sharing, rental car service, taxi and bike-sharing services all into one application and all on one service. The application provided 24/7 technical support, an "improved" travel guarantee and even bonuses for sustainable travel choices.
The public trial operated from November 2013 to April 2014, and involved 195 users (173 adults and 22 children). For the study, trial users subscribed to prepaid monthly packages (similar to a mobile phone subscription) based on their travel needs, with the ability to charge additional trips and save unused trips for later use.
An evaluation of the MaaS model was performed based on questionnaires, interviews, travel diaries and focus groups.
Findings
| Mode | "Before" Travel Diary from UbiGo participants (Use %) | "During" Travel Diary from UbiGo participants (% Change) |
|---|---|---|
| Walk/Run | 25% | -5% |
| Bicycle | 10% | +35% |
| Private Car | 25% | -50% |
| Carsharing | 2% | +200% |
| Tram | 15% | +5% |
| Bus (Local) | 15% | +35% |
| Bus (Express) | 3% | +100% |
| Train | 2% | +20% |
| Mode | Use (less-equal-more) | Attitude (worse-same-better) |
|---|---|---|
| Bus/tram | 4% – 46% – 50% | 2% – 46% – 52% |
| Local train | 7% – 75% – 18% | 3% – 71% – 26% |
| Bikesharing | 16% – 61% – 23% | 1% – 57% – 42% |
| Private Bicycle | 19% – 65% – 16% | 3% – 83% – 14% |
| Carsharing | 6% – 37% – 57% | 3% – 36% – 61% |
| Car rental | 13% – 59% – 28% | 4% – 75% – 21% |
| Private Vehicle | 48% – 48% – 4% | 23% – 74% – 3% |
| Taxi | 12% – 68% – 20% | 6% – 76% – 18% |
| Walking | 6% – 73% – 21% | 2% – 82% – 16% |
