MaaS Use Cases #10: Improving Traffic Management
MaaS apps can improve traffic management in several ways for both public transit authorities and transport operators, supporting urban/traffic measures, planning and capacity management. Dynamic data on travel times, speed, traffic flow, congestion, weather conditions combined with information from connected vehicles (V2V/V2I) and sensors provide important insight.
How packed are the carriages? How is the sudden flurry of snow affecting public transport and traffic flow? Are there any bottlenecks within the network? Having information like this with the ability to respond quickly means proactive measures can be taken. Using MaaS to spread demand more efficiently makes it easier to optimise traffic flow on any given network and prevent traffic jams.
This could include adjusting prices and increasing services where possible. It could also mean shifting demand away from one mode of transport (such as a tube train) onto another because of, for example, overcrowding, a capacity drop or a breakdown of service.
By collecting data on scheduled network events, transport managers can also estimate travel times and service levels. Real-time data from smart sensors can prompt predictive maintenance and repair with the ability to attend to issues before they become a problem.
Using MaaS data, traffic management teams can gain insight into how the transport system is being utilised, ensure greater optimisation and offer data-driven services. End users gain access to details on delays, diversions, bridge closures as well as information relevant for private transport, like visibility, precipitation and wind velocity. It enhances the quality of service for travellers, resulting in less time wasted, increased comfort, reduced stress and, potentially, fewer accidents.
Co-founder of SkedGo, Claus von Hessberg, said:Public transit authorities and transport operators are under immense pressure to provide a great service while dealing with the complexity of transportation systems and infrastructures. MaaS supports a more responsive approach to situations and better planning. It enables proactive measures to be taken to ensure transport operates smoothly, reducing journey interruptions where possible.
MaaS Traffic Management in Practice
The Belgium-based “Traffic Management as a Service” (TMaaS.eu), which ran from February 2018 until January 2021, used data from various organisations across all transport modes to send current information out to commuters as well as traffic and fleet managers, transport planners and other interested parties. It also allowed users to provide feedback, so operators could take reactive measures quickly when problems arose.
Who Is MaaS Traffic Management For?
- Public transit authorities
- Transport infrastructure operators
- Traffic management operators
- Transport planners
- Data providers
- Mobility/service operators
- MaaS operators
Questions to Ask Yourself
- What data do you need at every step of the journey process?
- Who else holds valuable data that could improve the service you provide?
- What do you need to do to gain greater control over systems and infrastructure? Where are the gaps?
- In what ways can MaaS help to improve your processes – especially at peak times?
Answering questions like these will help you figure out how you can operate a more efficient transport system, providing travellers with all the information they need. If you run a public transit authority, are a transport planner or operator, feel free to get in touch if you’d like to discuss how SkedGo could help you serve your customers better.
This article was originally published by SkedGo Pty Ltd.
