Greater Manchester is a city which has long been at the forefront of mobility. The world’s first passenger railway ran from Manchester to Liverpool, the UK’s largest tram network spans across the city, whilst Bus Rapid Transit and a significant local and suburban rail system (as well as normal buses) are all part of Manchester’s mobility mix. Yet a large proportion of our journeys are currently made by car, even short ones under 5km, and the resultant congestion places an economic and environmental burden upon the city.
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) offers a new approach to try and shift many of these currently unsustainable trips to modes which better suit the city, environment and economy. Given the planned growth in population and jobs currently forecast for Greater Manchester, the current modal mix is simply unsustainable – and so promoting and better utilising public and active travel modes is the best way forward to enable the region’s growth. This will be facilitated by the bringing of all modes under mobility providers – including car share and car hire for when other options aren’t feasible – making public and active mobility a viable alternative to car ownership and use.