What will transport be like in the future?
Modern society’s increasingly frenetic travel habits and the increased need to transport goods are two of the main factors leading to a gradual saturation of Italy’s transport network. This issue is concerning and it is the cause of an exponential increase in toxic emissions, which harm the environment as well as citizens.
As a consequence, experts have started to look for solutions and rethink urban and interurban transport methods with a view to making them more sustainable, accessible and shared. While there are many projects under development at national level, the common objective remains to identify strategies genuinely able to improve the transport of the future.
Urban transport of the future: MaaS could be the answer
Among the many proposals put forward to manage future transport in cities, one of the most interesting is undeniably a system known as Mobility as a Service or MaaS: a solution which offers users the chance to combine a certain number of transport services in a single monthly ticket.
The aim is to combine traditional means of public transport such as taxis, buses, trains, underground etc., with the sharing of other types, such as scooters, bikes, cars etc. and to allow those who need it to access all available options including relevant timetables and prices via a specially designed app.
MaaS will not be reserved for individual use, but would also be implemented for the transport of goods, bringing a series of benefits relating to delivery times and sustainability.
According to the latest pollution statistics, a third of emissions currently produced derive from the transport sector, with the majority, 70%, linked to road transport and a mere 30% to air and sea transport.
If we also consider that in 94% of energy sources used for transportation in the European Union consist of oil-based fossil fuels, it is clear how Mobility as a Service is all but indispensable.
Italy’s digitalisation and development of technologies such as that mentioned above therefore represent the most effective strategy to both unblock the road network and embrace a new concept of transportation, a key objective which experts propose should be funded through the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience.
Hyperloop: the high speed system connecting urban centres
While local transport networks remain the main focus of attention and efforts to improve future transportation, it is interesting to observe changes underway in inter-city transport. One of the most significant, known as the Hyperloop, is a project involving super high speed trains able to travel at over 1000 km/hour.
In Veneto for example, work on the Hyper Transfer is already underway. It is the first extremely high speed, restricted drive transport system, which will transport goods and people to their destination in capsules positioned inside large tubes. The magnetic propulsion system and perfect insulation will allow it to exceed the speed of sound in complete safety.
The major advantage of this technology is not its speed but rather its sustainability. Its use would increase the current percentage of individuals and goods that currently travel by rail (5-20%), switching traffic from the motorways to the railways, resulting in a reduction of emissions, lower logistical costs and optimal energy efficiency.
