MAAS IN MEXICO CITY |
that includes buses, trains, bikes and cars is for
the city itself to take control. Otherwise, trying
to force private companies to work together is
a long way off.”
“Universal payment systems are possible
but difficult to employ in developing nations,”
says Opiola. “Realistically, internet banking
is only possible in the more established urban
centres. And without digital payment systems
MaaS breaks down to cash handling and ‘pay-
to-ride’ ecosystems.”
In that context, Opiola agrees with Ducongé:
“It’s difficult to see anything other than a
nationally backed ‘public bank’ and credit system
satisfying the needs of Mexico or Mexico City.”
Getting the workers to work
Car rental companies traditionally target their
service at tourists, but Vulog and Alamo believe
there will be an opportunity to expand further
down the line.
“For now it’s about tourists being able to pick
up a car anywhere, across the whole of Mexico,
rather than be restricted by a rental company’s
opening hours,” says Ducongé. “In time, though,
we want businesses to use the service as well
because car sharing can reduce their travel and
fleet costs. In practical terms employees will
be able to pick up a car whenever they need it,
whether it’s for a 15-minute journey or whether
it’s for a number of days. In Mexico City all trips
are short and there are issues with public
transport, so it’s ideal.”
034 Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2020
It all comes back to the challenge of
integrating services in a developing country.
Can Mexico – and Mexico City – be fast on
its feet in adapting to the demands of MaaS?
“This is a really good question,” says
Ducongé. “I don’t see us as competing with
public transport. You need a strong public
transport network for MaaS to work, otherwise
people won’t give up their own cars.
“But pollution is high in developing nations
and they have to address this – which they are.
They’re looking to restrict car use, to penalize
gasoline vehicles and develop green mobility, so
there are positive signs. I do think the challenge
is greater in developing nations, but when it
comes to pollution we’re talking about health,
and the impact on wellbeing. That’s forcing
cities around the world to act.”
Any action, however, requires time as well
as motivation. “Rather than taking a ‘Big Bang
theory’ approach, MaaS requires an evolutionary
or incremental deployment,” says Opiola.
“Mexico can begin with the integration of two
modes of transport, and once that has been
successfully completed it’s easier to then add
more modes of transport and move forward
to higher levels of integration.
“It actually gets easier to advance to higher
levels because there is a clear evidentiary trail of
success, measurable benefits and a demonstrable
value to other modes of transport to expand the
MaaS network.”
For Mexico City, the journey is just beginning. n
Above: Vulog’s app
will guide users to
the nearest available
vehicle in its carsharing
scheme. For
Alamo customers
that will mean no
waiting around
for a hire car
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