Mobility as a service facts for kids

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is a way to use transportation without owning it. Imagine you need to go somewhere, but you don't have a car or a bike. With MaaS, you can pay to use a car, a bike, or even a bus for just that trip. You pay for the ride, but you don't own the vehicle.

Think about it: when you ride a public bus, a taxi, or a subway, you're already using MaaS! You don't own the bus or the train, but you pay to use it for your journey. MaaS is becoming very popular all over the world, from the US and Europe to Japan, Korea, and China.

What are Examples of MaaS?

MaaS includes many different ways to get around. Here are some examples:

• Ride-sharing: This is when you share a car with others going in the same direction, like with services such as Uber.
• E-hailing services: These apps connect you with a driver who will pick you up, similar to calling a taxi from your phone.
• Bike-sharing programs: You can rent a bike for a short time to ride around the city and then leave it at a special station.
• Car-sharing services: You can rent a car for a few hours or a day when you need it, instead of owning one.
• On-demand "pop-up" bus services: These are like flexible bus routes that can change based on where people need to go.
• Self-driving cars: These are cars that drive themselves, and they could be a big part of MaaS in the future.

How MaaS Can Change Things

MaaS could change how many people own cars. For example, in China, many people don't own cars because they can easily use other ways to travel. They just don't need to buy a car!

Benefits of MaaS

MaaS offers some cool benefits:

• Less traffic: If more people use shared transportation, there might be fewer cars on the road, which means less traffic jams.
• Good for the environment: Fewer cars can mean less pollution, which helps our planet.
• Faster travel: With less traffic, you might get to where you're going more quickly.
• Lower cost: Using MaaS can sometimes be cheaper than owning a car, especially when you add up gas, insurance, and repairs.

Self-Driving Cars and MaaS

Many big companies like Uber, Tesla, General Motors, Waymo, and Apple are working on self-driving vehicles. These are also called autonomous vehicles (AVs).

Imagine a car that drives itself, picking you up and taking you exactly where you want to go. Self-driving cars could make MaaS even better. They might offer rides at a lower cost than a regular taxi. They could also help the environment and make transportation much faster for everyone.

See also

• In Spanish: Movilidad como un servicio para niños