Minister Harakka’s address at the MaaS Summit

Ministry of Transport and Communications
Publication date 28.9.2020 16.25
Press release
Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka. (Photo: Suvi-Tuuli Kankaanpää, Keksi / LVM)
Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka. (Photo: Suvi-Tuuli Kankaanpää, Keksi / LVM)

The MaaS Summit, a high-level discussion on Mobility as a Service, will be held on 29 September 2020. This year, the event will be part of the Urban Mobility Days 2020 virtual conference and its theme will be "MaaS and emission-free mobility for all".

The MaaS Summit, which will be held for the sixth time, is an annual event organised jointly by the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications, the European Commission and the MaaS Alliance, bringing together top transport experts from all over the world. At the event, Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka will address the importance of MaaS services in terms of sustainability objectives. This year, however, the work to promote sustainable transport was challenged by the coronavirus pandemic, which has significantly reduced the use of public transport services.

"We need intelligent and sustainable mobility services in order to make low-emission and comfortable mobility available to as many as possible, also outside cities. The MaaS services will definitely play an important role in the future sustainable transport system," says Minister Harakka.

Other speakers at the event include Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean and President of MaaS Alliance Jacob Bangsgaard. The panel discussions will focus on the accessibility of services, the importance of the infrastructure, the use of data and the rights and obligations related to the services. The panelists represent both businesses and the public sector. 

Finland is a pioneer in the "Mobility as a Service" thinking. MaaS ensures interoperability between various transport services making them work seamlessly together. Services linking different modes of transport are a way towards a user-oriented and sustainable transport system.


Inquiries:

Saara Reinimäki, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 50 303 3065

Altti Iskola, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 50 430 4876


Timo Harakka