There's no doubt that ride hailing apps have changed how travellers are moving around cities. But there are also thousands using apps like Citymapper to help them navigate public transport options, as it quotes, "making cities usable".
Ticketing isn't quite at the same level yet. Many transport providers are switching to paperless 'smart cards' or barcoded tickets via emails or apps. But travellers still typically get separate tickets for different transport types, although Lufthansa's Rail&Fly and the UK's Great Western Railway 'interline' agreements with numerous airlines are some of the European initiatives that go across multiple transport providers.
That is changing, and some cities are further ahead than others. Steve Wakeland, CEO of ticketing technology provider ITSO says Amsterdam, Helsinki, Stockholm and Vienna are some of the leading cities for the most established multi-transport systems and "ready for large-scale MaaS (Mobility as a Service) deployment". Wakeland added Antwerp and the UK region of West Midlands are seeing improvements through their involvement with the Whim app where transport can be available on a pay-as-you-go or subscription basis. In the US it is "slowed by the fragmented nature of the state and federal system".
"Smart ticketing, and the infrastructure in place to support it, has the potential to help create a fully integrated transport system that is adaptable to all forms of public transport and able to connect bus, rail, cars, taxis and bikes. This will allow operators to be able to deliver mobility in a fully connected state," says Wakeland. He believes bookings and tickets through phones will be the most popular means in the next five years.
Public transport is not always the best option for business travellers but as cities get 'smarter' and car ownership declines it may be that more travellers turn to buses and trains. Plus some cities are starting to offer free transport; more people are taking the bus in the French port of Dunkirk now that services are free, having been inspired by the Estonian city of Tallinn.
If the ecosystem Wakeland describes can plug into business travel technology and offer the right payment options for business travellers there could be a shift in use and new providers that bring more change to ground transport programmes.