Pathways toward mobility as a service: Assessing Hungary’s readiness through interreg project insights

This study assesses how ready Hungarian cities are to implement Mobility as a Service (MaaS) by using qualitative comparative analysis and international MaaS maturity frameworks. As part of the Interreg Europe MaaSolutions project, the research evaluates technological, institutional, service, payment, and sustainability aspects. Building on this assessment, the results show that MaaS development in Hungary remains at an early, fragmented stage, characterised mainly by Level 1–2 solutions such as real-time passenger information and mobile ticketing, rather than by fully integrated multimodal systems. Nevertheless, Budapest, Debrecen, and Veszprém emerge as the most relevant examples, each representing distinct development pathways. Budapest serves as a national benchmark for pilot-based multimodal integration and institutional capacity, Debrecen demonstrates data-driven, sustainability-oriented mobility development, while Veszprém illustrates a scalable, operator-led approach to digital integration. In light of these examples, the findings further indicate that the main barriers to MaaS implementation are institutional rather than technological, particularly the lack of a MaaS integrator, limited data sharing, and the absence of viable business models. Future progress requires coordinated governance, regulatory support, and the application of public–private partnership-based implementation models.