Enlarging the concept of quality of service: from a sectoral to a multimodal perspective

Urban mobility policies are increasingly focused on sustainability to address socio-economic and environmental challenges. The Quality of Service (QoS) of urban transport is key to influencing users’ travel behavior by encouraging shifts from private cars to more sustainable modes. Initially focused on Public Transport Companies (PTCs), the QoS concept has expanded but often lacks an integrated, multimodal perspective. This study aims to address that gap by redefining QoS from a multimodal perspective and proposing a conceptual framework to provide insights into quality assessment that encompasses public transport, non-motorized modes, and electric micromobility. A simple numerical example is shown as a possible illustration of operation of the framework. The new framework shifts the focus from PTCs to include municipalities, private operators, and users. It also broadens QoS beyond technical aspects to incorporate social, environmental, and technological dimensions, emphasizing sustainability and intermodal integration.