“MaaS offers everyone the keys to an augmented city”
Is MaaS changing the city and urban uses?
F. L. It’s still too early to say. We are currently in a phase where we are creating trust through excellence. In terms of mobility, changing habits and breaking routines doesn’t happen overnight; users first need to have total confidence in the information we provide to them.
They will then start to experiment, to create their own journeys, combining cycling, walking and bus or metro, tram and kick scooter.
What is RATP Group’s approach to MaaS?
F. L. RATP Group addressed the issue of the augmented city very early on, and this is inextricably linked to new mobility services.
After deploying MaaS apps on several networks operated by RATP Dev in Annemasse, Brest and Angers, it launched the Bonjour RATP app in the Île-de-France region in 2021. The app has also integrated the expertise of Mappy, which has been part of the Group since 2021.
With Mappy, the Bonjour RATP app offers a multitude of points of interest. A new way to see the city?
F. L. Here again, this is just the beginning, and we intend to use the Paris Olympic Games to test this idea of exploring places. For longer journeys, we already know how to suggest petrol stations, accommodation, restaurants, and more along the route. What we can’t yet do for everyday journeys in the city, is to suggest relevant detours or snack breaks to rekindle the magic of the city.
But we’re getting there by offering click and collect services from lockers in metro stations, for example. This saves time for our passengers, and we can use the Bonjour RATP app to suggest a relevant detour: a nearby square, an exhibition in their neighbourhood, etc. Our goal is to optimise our users’ journeys so they can fully enjoy and appreciate their environment. This is possible because RATP Group operates a physical network connected to digital tools.
Do these services give the city more of a soul?
F. L. Yes, because their agility means they can adapt to the changing pace of urban life, and the power of digital technology, its DNA, is to constantly and rapidly adapt its service offering.
For example, during the heatwave this summer, we were able to very quickly integrate all the Paris drinking water fountains into our Mappy map. Apart from these periods of crisis, an app like Bonjour RATP can devise an infinite number of routes in the city, offering a wealth of opportunities to make discoveries and detours.
