Conference Agenda

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) promises the seamless and customized integration of the mobility services in a certain region into one digital platform, via which users can plan, book, and pay their trips. Although prior research indicates that MaaS can decrease greenhouse gas emissions and improve inclusiveness of the transport system, the user numbers remain low. The deployment of incentives can influence the mobility decisions of travelers and might encourage the adoption of MaaS platforms, if the incentives match the preferences of the potential users.

Against this background, we present the results of a stated-preference choice experiment, in which participants choose between MaaS platforms that vary regarding the included incentives. We weigh different economic, social, and ecological incentives against each other and generate insights about their attractiveness for potential users. The choice experiment shows a high importance of both ecological and economic incentives, while revealing a relatively lower importance of social attributes.

Our study contributes to the understanding of incentives for MaaS usage and gives impulses for the research on MaaS platform and bundle optimization. The results further serve as insights for policy-makers and practitioners with the aim of increasing the user numbers of MaaS systems and improving the sustainability of the transportation sector.

Modular bus systems recently attracted attention due to their potential ability increase the flexibility and efficiency in transit networks scheduling. In this work, we focus on the potential advantages of modular buses with respect to fixed-capacity buses.

We develop a static optimization model to minimize the total number of modules flowing in a given network of bus lines. The model assumes that for a set of origin-destination pairs located at the stops of the bus network, a rate of transport demand is given and must be satisfied. Buses are formed by one or more connected identical modules. Modules can be attached/detached at the endpoints of a line and at intersections of lines. Empty modules can be transferred among different endpoints and intersections if needed. The model establishes the rate of departure of modules from each endpoint and intersection along each line and the rate of transfer of empty modules among endpoints and intersections that allow to satisfy the demand of transport using a minimum number of modules. By analyzing two extreme cases, we bound the relative value of module sharing among lines and the relative value of empty module rebalancing.

Computational experiments on instances derived from real-world transportation networks show the validity of the model and the saving in total transport capacity that can be obtained from a modular system with respect to a fixed-capacity system.