Mobility-as-a-Service in top three for mobility within remuneration plan

MaaS is becoming a staple at Belgian companies. As a flexible salary benefit, the innovative mobility app outperforms the fuel card and charging station, according to Attentia figures.

It is also finding its way among private individuals: mobility services have been part of KBC Mobile since 2018.

But to really adopt MaaS in our daily lives, the Belgian market needs one clear vision. That is what the experts shared with us at Mobility Talks, the mobility event from Olympus Mobility.

More than 900,000 Mobility-as-a-Service users

Mobility Talks started with a bang. Koen Van De Putte, Managing Director at Olympus Mobility, talked about how more than 900,000 users choose MaaS. Since 2015, the mobility platform therefore evolved from just an innovative ticketing app for companies to the Belgian MaaS reference for cities, municipalities and banks.

The ecosystem continues to expand year after year.

The platform now has 4 B2C and 12 B2B partners offering the Olympus app to their own customers, including Attentia. In early 2024, the two parties announced their brand-new partnership. In Belgium, there is currently only one seamless integration between the Olympus mobility platform and an HR and Wellbeing partner such as Attentia.

Bert Van Molle, Sales & Marketing Manager at Olympus Mobility, then shared that the mobility offer in the Olympus app also continues to grow. Today, you find more than 35 mobility services, 9 bicycle leasing partners and a easy solution for managing the legal mobility budget.

MaaS as a success factor in flexible remuneration

Among companies, MaaS is in high demand. The partnership between Olympus Mobility and Attentia is proof. Since its launch almost four months ago, more than 1,600 employees have opted for the Olympus app via their remuneration plan.

Guy Van Hauwermeiren, Business Development Manager at Attentia, says: “For Attentia customers, mobility is part of every remuneration plan. The increased flexibility, both in terms of remuneration and travel behaviour, is the source of happy employees.”

Only offering the company bicycle or car do better than MaaS. Remarkably, the company car lost 4% ground over three years.

What we learn from C2MxEi

From MaaS as a flexible reward, it then turned to MaaS within KBC Mobile. In 2014, KBC embarked on a digital transformation. They are constantly looking for products and services to maximise customer care so their customers can save time and money. One of the first examples is making online purchases without a card reader.

Today, the offering goes beyond just unburdening customers in Banking and Insurance. KBC also offers things like mobility services, Goal Alert and movie tickets. They invest in convenience for their users. With digital assistant Kate, they are taking their goal to the next level. Thanks to their many efforts, they can call themselves the best banking app in Belgium and number three in the world.

Karin Van Hoecke, General Manager Digital Transformation & Data at KBC Belgium explains: “We apply Rik Vera’s principle: Connect To Many, Engage Individuals. With widgets, dark mode and third-party services, KBC Mobile is all about personalisation.”

Obviously, offering third-party mobility services in KBC Mobile was one of the next steps. It is also a seamless addition to KBC’s own existing offerings, including car loans, insurance and leasing. This means private individuals also get to enjoy Mobility-as-a-Service.

These mobility services help ensure that people use KBC Mobile regularly and spend more time in-app. Currently, the app has 16 mobility integrations. With success: since 2019, the number of transactions at De Lijn and the use of shared bikes doubled. Use of NMBS, Q-Park and 4411 tripled.

The ideal MaaS ecosystem is a long way off

Despite the success stories, Hannes Delaere, PhD Researcher at VUB Mobilise, does not yet see a perfect MaaS ecosystem in Belgium. Under the guidance of prof. dr. Cathy Macharis and commissioned by FPS Mobility and Transport, he is investigating the impact of MaaS on society.

Hannes: “The most important factor for the use of MaaS is reliable travel information. Users quickly drop out when info is late, incorrect or non-existent. Moreover, there is discord in the MaaS ecosystem. The diversity of views between different MaaS operators and other parties makes mutual cooperation difficult.”

Without sufficient complementary efforts, MaaS cannot fulfil its ambitions. Just think about investing more in public transport or covering rural areas. Hannes calls for more research and a unified vision, both among the various MaaS operators and the government.

About Mobility Talks and Olympus Mobility

Mobility Talks is a mobility event by Olympus Mobility, organised in 2024 on 14 March at NTGent. Experts at Attentia, KBC and Mobilise shared their insights on Mobility-as-a-Service.

Olympus Mobility NV grew out of the Belgian Railways and was founded in 2015. Shareholders are Cambio, VAB and Mpact. Olympus offers a ‘Mobility-as-a-Service’ platform that provides single access to public and shared transport via smartphone. Olympus Mobility makes mobility management and the accompanying administrative processes easy for companies.