In rural areas, securing access to modes of transport other than private cars is a common challenge. Part of the issue is profitability, with 85% of rural bus operators running below break-even point. This is further compounded by a population that is both declining in numbers and ageing. As the difference between healthy life expectancy and average 

life expectancy increases worldwide, it is time to reform the existing model of rural mobility, which 

is predominantly based on private cars. The MaaS (mobility as a service) businesses that have emerged in Europe and the US over the past few years were born out of this necessity – and have achieved a certain level of success with public transport users. 

On the other hand, the relatively low numbers of users and thus the sustainability of the business model are issues that MaaS needs to overcome.

In Japan, there are more than 80 MaaS businesses, with some services showing signs of improvement in terms of their number of users and profitability. In addition, 80% of Japanese MaaS businesses operate in rural areas. This means that the lessons learned and techniques adopted in Japan can act as guidelines for other countries considering the implementation of similar rural-based MaaS projects in the future.