MaaS (Mobility as a Service) Workshop, Urumqi

NOV 7, 2019 | China

The World Bank has assisted the rapidly expanding city of Urumqi transform its urban transport system since 2001, through two loan-financed operations addressing challenges in different stages. The first Urumqi Urban Transport Improvement Project (P045915) fostered the planning, design and use of a multimodal urban transport system in the city for safe and efficient move of people and goods.  The second Bank project started in 2016 has the focus on improving mobility in selected urban transport corridors through development of public transport infrastructure, information management system and service provision. 

‘Mobility as a Service (MaaS)’, as an internet-based solution where different modes of transport are integrated through a single service interface, was introduced in the context of the second Urumqi Urban Transport Project (P148527) in order to help the city move to the new stage of mobility with technology advancements. The Bank team convened top experts from the Ministry of Transport National Intelligent Transport Systems Center of Engineering and Technology (ITSC), big-data solutions provider (e-Hualu), and app-based ride-hailing platform (DiDi) to Urumqi to share with local policy makers, transport operators and financiers how MaaS could provide not only easier access to commuters, but an holistic alternative to the private use of cars that may be as convenient, but more sustainable and cheaper.

The workshop was attended by representatives from Xinjiang (provincial) Finance Department, Development and Reform Commission, and Urumqi municipal government. It was agreed during the workshop that Urumqi Transport Research Center will conduct a follow-up study to identify user demand, needed data and platform, sustainable operation model and potential operators to develop a MaaS plan for support by the municipal government fiscal budget.