Mobility as a Service

We commute to and from work every day and often travel for business. How can we travel as sustainably as possible? How does WUR manage this traffic flow? And how do we prevent the adverse impact on the surroundings, environment, and climate from getting out of hand?

WUR aims to give sustainable travel and extra push by stimulating electric driving, cycling and the use of public transportation. This includes shared vehicles and efficient use of transportation for business purposes. We aim to reduce travel by plane and private car, especially those powered by fossil fuels.

In the coming period, WUR will increase its options for sustainable and user-friendly travel. To this end, WUR has signed an agreement with a supplier of integrated MaaS solutions. MaaS stands for Mobility as a Service.   

Would you like to know more about what that looks like in practice? Then watch the accompanying animation video.

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What is Mobility as a Service?

Mobility as a Service, or: MaaS, is defined in a large number of ways. One of these ways is an app that facilitates multimodule travel. Travellers transfer from one travel solution to the next. For example, they cycle from their home to the train station, take the train to another station, and then hop on the bus to their place of work.

The app allows you to plan and organise your travel. The app includes a travel planner, reservations and access to public transport (e-ticketing), billing and payment. It takes up-to-date travel information and personal preferences into account.

The app is entirely focused on a complete and flexible travel solution for the traveller. This makes usage of a variety of different methods of transportation within a single trip easy and attractive, and more sustainable through a greener fleet of electrically powered (shared) vehicles, easy access to public transport and the possibility to select a shared bicycle.

The 9 stages towards Mobility as a Service

  1. Eclectically powered shared Amber vehicles for business travel. Two hubs have been designated on campus for this purpose. A hub is a central location where you can pick up your car. This step is now concluded.
  2. Shared bicycles for use on and around campus—ten bicycle hubs on campus and one at the Leeuwenborch. The bikes are primarily meant for use by WUR employees. At a later stage, the service will become available to students and employees of other businesses located on and around the campus.
  3. Integration of public transportation into the travel advice provided by the travel app and retrospective payment. The travel expenses incurred are invoiced to each department's individual cost centre.
  4. Expanding the use of shared electric vehicles to employees of businesses on campus, with hubs located on other organisations' premises on campus.
  5. Expanding the use of shared bicycles to include employees from other businesses on campus, with hubs located on other organisations' premises on campus.
  6. Expand to include locations off-campus: 5 bicycle hubs and 2 shared vehicle hubs, at Ede-Wageningen train station, among other sites.
  7. Shared bicycles and vehicles to be available for private use by employees.
  8. Shared bicycles available for use by students.
  9. Expand use to include the surroundings (residents close-by)

MaaS is a pay-as-you-go business model. The user pays only for the services that are provided. This means that a privately owned, expensive fleet of cars that often remain unused is no longer needed. Instead, there are environmentally friendly shared vehicles available for which you pay per trip or a subscription per employee for the use of these services. This makes travel easy for employees.

Why does WUR value other businesses being able to use the mobility services?

WUR believes that the best results are achieved through a large-scale use of the service. This applies to user-friendliness, there are many different options for transportation, and to sustainability, because shared transportation will be implemented even more effectively. The initiative is in keeping with the Food Valley region mobility covenant.

This covenant was signed by WUR.

Mobility as a Service means we practice what we preach!