The transformation of mobility can be observed particularly well in large cities. A lack of parking spaces, long traffic jams, car-free zones and rising maintenance costs are making owning a car increasingly unattractive. Instead, public transport is increasingly used, car and bike-sharing are gaining popularity and alternative means of transport such as e-scooters are becoming established. Mobility-as-a-Service enables citizens to easily use the various offers. An app is provided for this purpose, which grants access across all providers.
Due to the transformation of the mobility market, this model will gain in importance in the future and replace existing company-specific and thus exclusive solutions. In order for this to succeed, however, acceptance must be sought among users. In addition to a simple user interface, the handling of personal data is a key issue. myEGO is taking part in the Wunder Mobility Summit from 11 to 12 October 2021 to address precisely these problems and present solutions that convince users on the one hand and open up new perspectives for companies on the other.
Many different apps hinder users and growth
The barriers for citizens to use the full potential of the numerous mobility concepts are both digital and physical. There is often a lack of easy transition options to car-sharing services or e-scooters at public transport hubs. Digital difficulties are posed by the multitude of apps needed to use different means of transport. This fragmentation of mobility in the municipalities is not very user-friendly and inhibits the growth of each provider. At the same time, the variety of different offers makes travelling more opaque. Users can only guess which combination of means of transport is the fastest, most reliable and, above all, cheapest.
However, technological progress should make mobility easier and break down barriers instead of creating new ones. In many respects, this is already happening today. Bus and train tickets can now be ordered contactless via an app, and thanks to digital solutions, the telephone queue at the taxi office is also a thing of the past. However, the interconnection of different mobility concepts is not yet a given. This is urgently needed though if sustainable mobility is to succeed.
Mobility-as-a-Service and Self-Sovereign Identity
Technically, it is not necessary for providers to rely on their own apps to offer mobility to users. Mobility-as-a-service concepts enable movement with an app. This requires open interfaces and interoperable systems, but these can be easily implemented in existing corporate structures. The user is thus enabled to filter out the best travel connection for him or her. Local availability, for example of bicycles for hire, can be taken into account at the same time. However, legitimisation processes, the handling of personal data and payment procedures still have to be designed in a user-friendly way.
Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) puts the user at the centre and not only enables them to use various services in a Smart City more conveniently but also offers them the opportunity to create their own digital identity over which they have full control. Self-Sovereign Identity, therefore, means data sovereignty on the one hand and the simple linking of corporate structures on the other. Important personal data such as payment information, driving licence, local transport ticket or identity card are stored in a private wallet. Certificates with expiry dates are in turn stored anonymously in a blockchain. Monthly bus tickets and payment options are thus stored in the same app as authorisations to use e-scooters or car-sharing services. The transition from one mobility service to the next is thus seamless, as authorisation and payment procedures only have to be completed with one app.
Open ecosystems thanks to SSI
Self-Sovereign Identity follows the principle of data economy and, above all, makes identification procedures much easier for all parties involved. Instead of having to present a driver’s licence or ID card, car-sharing providers, for example, are simply sent verified certificates from the blockchain. The legitimation of the data stored in the wallet was carried out in advance by independent third parties such as banks or authorities. Users thus only disclose a minimum of themselves and decide for themselves with whom they want to share their data.
The Self-Sovereign Identity rounds off the Mobility-as-a-Service concept and provides an open ecosystem. Thanks to myEGO’s technical solution, it is interoperable and easy for companies to implement. Users in turn benefit from the easy accessibility as well as the regained data sovereignty. Sustainable mobility, data economy and simplified business processes thus go hand in hand.