This is how Mobility Data can Drive the Mobility Transition Forward

The amount of data collected in the mobility sector is growing rapidly. But what has been missing so far are one-stop mobility apps that can be used to search for, book, and pay for different modes of transportation such as bicycles, e-scooters, buses, trains, car-sharing, and ride services. There is great potential here to make the switch from one's own car to the environmental network easier, faster and more attractive. 

A new policy paper titled "Mobility Data for a Just Transition: The Case for Multimodal Platforms and Data-Driven Transportation Planning", developed by the Wuppertal Institute on behalf of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, contains two key recommendations for this purpose: First, the establishment of nationwide mobility platforms through which users can book all publicly available mobility services. Second, the researchers recommend making mobility data available for mobility management and transportation planning: Data generated by mobility services and GPS-enabled cell phones should be available for use by transportation planners and mobility managers to develop infrastructures and mobility services that are better suited to actual demand.

Paul Schneider, Junior Researcher in the Mobility and Transport Policy Research Department at the Wuppertal Institute and lead author of the study, explains: "Currently, a lot of public money and personnel is being channelled into setting up local mobility platforms, which only cover a fraction of the services. The Mobility Data Act could lay the foundation for comprehensive apps that can be used throughout Germany – and the Finnish legal situation can be used as a model. That's more efficient and helps save costs."

The policy paper was presented today, Monday, 26 June 2023, at an expert meeting of the Heinrich Böll Foundation and can be downloaded free of charge via the following link.