A comparative analysis of the users of private cars and public transportation for intermodal options under Mobility-as-a-Service in Seoul

The expected convenience of mobility-as-a-service (MaaS), which integrates travel modes and related services into a single platform, has generated considerable research interest. Maas could bring attention to intermodal options that involve transfers between transport modes, and users’ preference depends on the level-of-service of the transport mode and their daily travel behavior. This study aims to explore whether and how users’ preference to intermodal options under MaaS is heterogeneous between private car users and public transportation users. To achieve the goal, we design a stated preference survey assuming daily commute trips in the Seoul metropolitan area. An integrated choice latent variable model is used to gain a comprehensive understanding of individuals’ psychological attitudes. The results show that people’s latent attitudes toward MaaS significantly vary depending on socio-economic characteristics (gender and household income) and workplace environments (worktime flexibility and dress code flexibility). Moreover, even if consumers are of the same socio-demographics, the preference for MaaS could be different by the transportation mode they habitually use. In the end, the comparative analysis in this study provides new insights to better understand demand of MaaS. To make the intermodal options attractive to the private car users, the operator should try to minimize the resistance to transfers in the intermodal options under MaaS. Otherwise, for the public transportation users, it would be important for them to propose shorter travel time in the intermodal options under MaaS.