RAILWAY & ROAD ENGINEERING
ON-DEMAND
COMMUNITY MOBILITY SERVICE by Alan Quek Ming Huat, Director and General Manager, Global Business Development and Corporate Management, WILLERS Pte Ltd, Singapore Towards sustainable and inclusive mobility. Current transport challenges According to the United Nations, the total world population is forecasted to increase by more than 25% to reach 9.7 billion people in 2050. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has also projected that the world’s vehicle population will reach 2 billion by 2040, from today’s 1.3 billion vehicles. This translates to a whopping 54% increase which is more than double the increase in the human population. It is not a sustainable trend in the long run. With rapid urbanisation, many countries and cities are facing serious transport and societal challenges such as traffic congestions, accidents, noise and air pollution, declining birth rates, ageing population and shortage of commercial and public transport drivers. Rural and suburban regions are also faced with poor transport networks and infrastructure, resulting in limited connectivity and accessibility. While the transport industry was still grappling with the on-going mobility and societal challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a curveball which no urban transport system in the world was prepared for. This crisis has caused a major shift in human behaviour and travel patterns in the past one and a half years. It has literally affected the way we live, work, study and play. Companies are embracing the idea of working partially from home, even after the pandemic. As a result, there is increased shorter-distance travel. Morning and evening peak hour crowds have not returned to pre-COVID levels and there seems to be more travelling during off-peak hours. And as compared to the past, passengers now have higher expectations for clean and hygienic transport. On a positive note, the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation and IT adoption in Singapore and many other countries. The elderly have had to adapt and upskill to become more tech-savvy, to utilise mobile phones for purposes such as contactless payment, online purchases and scanning of QR codes, apart from just making calls as well as sending and receiving text messages. Coupled with the digitalisation efforts, contactless payment has now become the preferred mode of payment. Without the pandemic, this would likely have taken a much longer time to achieve. Building a modern urban transport system is based on demand momentum over time and the pandemic has
Mr Alan Quek Ming Huat
disrupted that momentum. Hence, it is time to reflect on and review the current transport situation and readiness levels to meet the ‘new normal’ in each country. It is essential to innovate and build resilient mobility solutions that go beyond the conventional transport systems, to tackle these new travel patterns and behaviour and their expected long-term impacts.
Mobility-as-a-Service Mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) is an evolving mobility concept that has the potential to address the persistent and growing mobility challenges that most cities and suburban areas are facing today. It aims to provide commuters seamless mobility solutions based on their travel needs, including bundled transport services (covering existing and new transportation modes) that are ordered and paid for, through an integrated digital mobile app. It presents opportunities for new value creation and potential changes in lifestyles, thereby changing travel patterns and enhancing the individual’s overall journey experience. If adopted appropriately, MaaS can facilitate seamless travel for short- and long-haul journeys and mitigate first- and last-mile challenges. Thus, MaaS is not just a smartphone app or transport mode, but should be seen as a distribution model for mobility. The availability of more efficient mobility options for users and better use of assets by transport operators will encourage greater movement in cities and rural areas, creating more active outings and visitorship to public and commercial facilities. With an overall boost in movement, the economies of the cities and towns can be revitalised, and people’s lives may be enriched and transformed. However, a one-size-fits-all MaaS platform will not work. In order for MaaS to be effective and acceptable, it needs to be customised for different regions, towns, cities, countries and communities. Therefore, besides establishing a sustainable and acceptable pricing strategy, it is also essential to have a deep understanding of the needs and wants of the local users. Only then can the MaaS platform be truly user-centric and more appropriately suited to the cultures and travel patterns of the users. MaaS, when used with new emerging vehicular technologies such as electric vehicles, autonomous shuttles, THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER August 2021
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