“Passengers currently do not have a convenient integrated system to plan their journeys using public transport and alternative means of transport,” said Johann Peetre, Head of the Mobility Planning Department at the Estonian Transport Administration. “This is one of the reasons why people tend to use their personal car, as currently it is an easier option. In order to solve this problem, the government is supporting the development of a prototype, on the basis of which the private sector can build a functioning environment where various transport service providers can offer their services.”
With the MaaS X-Road project, the government will develop a standardised prototype of a service platform for travel request mediation and integration of mobility services and ticket purchasing. This will create a standardised X-Road data exchange layer for use by MaaS operators on the private market. A prime example of this is the public transport system platform in Helsinki, where it is possible to plan your journey and immediately purchase all the necessary tickets.
There is a significant need for this system, as currently all the different means of transport (public transport, ferries, trains, short-term car rental, etc.) each have their own booking and ticketing channels and their application programming interfaces (APIs) are not compatible with each other. There is also no centralised way to integrate the different APIs.
MaaS X-Road is an intermediate layer with secure data exchange that integrates all the public transport and mobility services providers (bus, train, taxi, car rental, electric scooter, etc.), enabling the entry of a new type of service on the market, where all the services needed for the journey can be found in one place and tickets can be purchased in a single transaction.
The prototype development process is carried out in modules, where the effectiveness of each module is tested with the involved parties to ensure its suitability. If necessary, the solution will be adjusted before developing the next module.
The project is funded by the Estonian Government Office innovation fund. It will run for 18 months and cost 840,000 euros. The project involves the Estonian Transport Administration, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture.
