Public transport in a sharing environment

Shared modes can provide both a synergetic and a competitive relation with the existing public transport system. The competitive relation only is realistic when the shared modes have a positive business case. However, both with a positive and a negative business case, shared modes will operate in a mobility context with public authorities playing a major role in regulation and financing of services and infrastructure. This chapter argues that this governmental role is key, and the challenge will be to strike a balance between allowing for innovation with shared modes and driving integration between all modes. That integration should put all modes in their strength and provide efficient integration between the different modes. Mobility as a service could to be an excellent tool for providing the integration, but public authorities could act on a wide set of policy fields, like infrastructure, spatial planning, public transport procurement, traffic regulation and more to tie shared services and public transport together. The outcome of the implementation of shared services for the larger mobility context relies highly on that successful integration.