The challenge of integration

One of the aims of MaaS has been to replace personal cars. Whether this desire is fuelled by concerns for the environment, congestion, and health (as with many city proponents) or just market share (for instance Uber [1]), there are substantial difficulties in replacing a single multi-purpose vehicle able to carry several passengers (and bulky items) which can make door-to-door trips and choose between multiple potential routes). Cars have become progressively culturally and economically embedded in societies since the 1950s (with some variation in the region), so much so that our current car dependency is seen as the norm in many societies. The degree of change is only obvious if we take a longer-term, multi-decade, perspective. Looking at trip growth in the United Kingdom (as an example) one can see both the increasing number of trips and the increasing proportion of trips by car (Figure 10.1).