Insights

Consumers Would Pay More And Switch Transportation Mode To Get Smart Digital Services

Featured in Forbes

By Joris D’Incà, Patrick Lortie, and Anne Pruvot
This article first appeared in Forbes on August 28, 2018.  

The future of efficient, seamless, and personalized transportation gets closer to reality each year. Right now, it’s seen in apps that order rides or book travel with a click or smartphone alerts that tell passengers how long until the next subway arrives. It’s the apps that show drivers where to find parking spaces.

Not too many years from now, the same kind of centralized databases and platforms that make today’s apps possible will give people access to driverless cars on demand and adjust the flow of city traffic, based on real-time data feeds. Commuters will be able to swap travel options on the fly, jumping from driverless ride-sharing to autonomous bus-train connections to avoid delay

All this will be part of “smart mobility” — the future’s digitally connected approach to today’s travel problems. With smart mobility, digital platforms will be designed to manage the travel experience from end to end and allow consumers to plan, book, and pay for their trips through one outlet — even if several providers are required to complete the journey. Only a few clicks away, integrated travel services like route maps, real-time travel information, real-time seating choices, and advanced porter booking will be available.

The rewards of being smart

Right now, businesses are rushing to develop smart-mobility platforms and services, including travel operators like airlines and rail companies, digital giants such as Google and Amazon, and savvy technology startups. The rewards of unlocking smart mobility could be vast: Innovative mobility services are projected to see a fivefold increase in their share of travel spending by 2040 and generate an estimated $270 billion in revenue and up to $150 billion in profit for providers.

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Innovative mobility services are projected to generate an estimated $270 billion in revenue by 2040