MaaS bundle uptake among university students

Abstract

Considering current trends in innovative mobility solutions and the shifts in young generations’ travel behavior, this study investigates university students’ Mobility as a Service (MaaS) bundle uptake. Travel behavior of the younger generation has been widely explored in the literature, but their uptake of MaaS bundles has received limited attention. The data are derived from stated preference surveys conducted among the students of four European universities, where a mixed logit model is performed to calculate the parameters. The descriptive statistics confirm that people using public transport (PT) are potential adopters of MaaS bundles, whereas car users exhibit less interest. The results indicate differences in travel characteristics among specific locations in Europe. Students in Budapest are mostly PT users, and they show the highest interest in adopting MaaS bundles. Furthermore, students in Delft cycle more often and show disinclination toward bundles containing bike-sharing services. Cars are popular among students in Catania and Katowice, and they have interest in purchasing bundles including car-sharing services. The current research finds that providing incentives in MaaS bundles could potentially support their uptake. The interaction analysis indicates that high-income students are more inclined to have e-scooter-sharing and car-sharing within MaaS bundles. The findings shed light on the preferences toward MaaS among university students with different travel characteristics, which are relevant in addressing policies to promote more sustainable mobility options for residents. The results can potentially counterbalance skepticism that MaaS is not a sustainable mobility tool by demonstrating how context-specific bundle customization can bridge the wider adoption.