The future moves with an app. Who gets left behind?
From the robotaxi launch in Washington set for 2026 to the never-ending promise of MaaS – how is our way of moving about to change?
When we think of the future—the one imagined in sci-fi movies or novels—one of the first things that comes to mind is flying cars. We picture huge monorails suspended in the air or teleportation systems. Motorcycles racing at light speed, or hypersonic trains.
All of that still seems far from reality, even for a newsletter like this one, which looks ahead to the world as it might be in 2054. Yet something is already changing, and for the first time, it feels like fantasy is turning into reality.
The news was shared just recently: by 2026, Washington, D.C. will also be home to Waymo’s robotaxis, the autonomous vehicle company within the Google ecosystem. The same service has already been tested in several U.S. cities: Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin.
Waymo has already surpassed 4 million driverless rides, and currently manages around 200,000 trips every week. It also plans to launch the service in Miami and Atlanta, this time in partnership with Uber. The company began back in 2009 as a secret Google project, and is now part of Alphabet. But it’s not the only player in the robotaxi space: Amazon, Tesla, and Lyft, to name a few, are also investing heavily to get in the game—each hoping to steer the shift toward the future of mobility.
A unified system
While Silicon Valley is putting the first robotaxis on the road, in many cities around the world, mobility remains a daily challenge—marked by endless traffic jams, delayed buses, unintuitive apps, and poorly accessible stations.
The future may already be here, but not for everyone. The real revolution isn’t about flying cars, but something far more tangible—and perhaps less flashy: forward-thinking mobility planning, service integration, and accessibility. In short, the ability to ensure that people can get around without needing to own a car.
This is where the concept of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) comes into play: a system in which all modes of transport are integrated into a single platform. No more juggling different tickets for buses, subways, trains, and bike sharing—just one app to plan, book, pay, and, most importantly, move.
A system where the vehicle doesn’t matter—only the experience does. Whether you get there by bus or e-bike doesn’t make a difference; what matters is getting there in the simplest, most personalized, and most sustainable way.
In some European cities—from Helsinki to Vienna—this model is already a reality. In Italy, there are ongoing trials, but the cultural leap is still a long one. And the risk is that the ones moving fastest won’t be people, but inequalities.
Because this digital transformation of mobility will only work if it’s designed for everyone: for those with the latest smartphone—and those who’ve never downloaded an app. For those living in a big city—and those living in a small mountain village.
The challenges
The mobility of the future promises to be increasingly integrated and digital. But in this race toward innovation, there's a real risk of leaving people behind.
In Italy, for example, older adults account for about 24% of the total population—a figure expected to grow in the coming decades. Yet only 55.6% of people aged 65–74 use the Internet, and among those over 75, the number drops to just 17.9%.
What’s more, in households made up exclusively of seniors, only 53.4% have Internet access. This means a significant portion of the older population lacks familiarity with digital tools, making it difficult for them to access app-based or online mobility services.
Then there are rural and remote areas, across Europe, where a stable connection is simply unavailable. In these contexts, the future of mobility still feels very far away—and the road to reach it looks even longer.
For the most vulnerable
For many people, public transport is a practical problem before it’s a digital one. Think of someone pushing a stroller, someone using a wheelchair, or those with visual or cognitive impairments. The barriers aren’t just technological—they’re made of steps, broken elevators, narrow sidewalks, and unclear information.
Public transport isn’t truly for everyone when station elevators are out of order. When shelters don’t provide protection from the elements. When route information is fragmented, or simply doesn’t reach those without digital access—or the skills to use it.
That’s why the mobility of the future must be designed starting from its most vulnerable users. It’s not just an ethical matter—it’s an opportunity for innovation: a system designed for those who face the most challenges will end up being better for everyone.
There are already pilot projects pointing in this direction. Some are testing voice-based interfaces to purchase tickets, augmented signage to assist with orientation in complex stations, or hybrid solutions combining public transport with on-demand services to reach areas underserved by traditional systems.
But too often, these innovations remain local or short-lived experiments. What’s missing is a shared, structural, and systemic strategy.
The future
By 2054, mobility will be the true measure of social inclusion.
It won’t matter whether we move on wheels, rails, or through magnetic levitation. What will matter is simply being able to move—easily, accessibly, sustainably. The right to mobility will have become an essential part of citizenship.
The most advanced cities won’t be the ones with the fastest vehicles, but the ones that can connect people to services, to healthcare, to culture, to work. Places where moving around is simple even for an 85-year-old, or for someone living in a remote mountain village without a private car. Where the interface is designed for everyone—not just for those with a €1,000 smartphone.
By 2054, we may no longer own a personal vehicle—and we might not even notice. Because we’ll have seamless, constant access to an integrated ecosystem of public transport, bicycles, shared shuttles, trains, and on-demand electric minibuses. It won’t be the vehicle that defines the journey, but the quality of the experience.
It will be a mobility that’s invisible yet efficient, like the digital infrastructure that powers it. And just as we take electricity for granted today, in 2054 we’ll consider it normal to move freely and well—without leaving anyone behind.
Or... is that still just science fiction?
To explore this topic further, we recommend reading “Smart Mobility – Moving Towards a Greener and Connected Future”, the BIP report that explores the evolving mobility landscape.
Through exclusive data, it illustrates how everyday travel habits are changing—and what this means for the way we move in our daily lives.
This content was developed with the contribution of Fabiola Filardo, Manager at BIP.
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The City Fined for Lack of Renewable Energy
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Inflation Falling, Markets Betting on Interest Rate Cuts
Inflation in the Eurozone dropped to 2.2% in March, approaching the European Central Bank (ECB)’s target. However, the 0.6% monthly price increase and 3.4% inflation in services indicate persistent pressures. As reported by Euronews, these figures fuel speculation about a possible rate cut by the ECB at its meeting on April 17, with markets estimating a 65% probability of a reduction.
How can the new concept of mobility be embedded within a new vision of the city?
This is the central question explored in the volume edited by Petros Ioannou and Andreas Malikopoulos, offering valuable insights for mobility professionals, policy makers, and local administrations ready to face an increasingly urgent challenge.
Our word for this post is Mobility as a Service (MaaS)
An integrated mobility model where different transport modes—buses, subways, trains, sharing services, and more—are all accessible through a single digital platform.
The goal? To move freely without worrying about the vehicle, and instead focus on the experience and simplicity.
All of it made possible through one app to plan, book, and pay for every urban journey.
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