Capital of Minas Gerais launched sharing service in the central region, which has heavy traffic during business hours
The use of the car as a means of primary transportation for Brazilians has grown in recent years. According to the 2022 Population Census, the most used means of transport to commute to work is the car, and you can spend 1 hour a day in traffic. As a result, individual and agile mobility solutions have become popular again, such as shared electric scooters.
These vehicles are used for transportation called the “last mile“, which is that quick locomotion to reach the destination. For example, instead of taking two buses, the person can get off the first and finish the journey on a scooter.
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The shared electric scooter service of the company JET started operating in Belo Horizonte last Wednesday (18). The operation began after the opening of a tender held by the city hall of the capital of Minas Gerais.
Initially, there will be 1,500 electric scooters in the city. 1,100 of them are available in the downtown region, within Avenida do Contorno. The other 400 are in the West region, which covers from Prado to Buritis.
According to JET, today’s scooters are more robust and safer than those that have been used in the past. The weight is 32 kg. A differential is having real-time geolocation.
Monitoring is responsible for limiting speed according to the road. In bike lanes and bike lanes the limit is 20 km/h, in parks, sidewalks and squares it is 6 km/h. For beginner users, the limit is 12 km/h.
Initially, the scooters are only available in the central and western regions of Belo Horizonte, and can only run on public roads with a speed limit of up to 40 km/h. Places such as Avenida Amazonas and Raja Gabáglia are prohibited, as car traffic is faster.
Other safety measures are: LED headlight, identification plate, front and rear brake, bell, anti-theft system and the prohibition of passengers or animals. Helmet is recommended, but not mandatory.
Use is limited to people over 18 years old and the CPF is required for registration. If the vehicle is vandalized by a user, it will be banned from the platform.
We asked a JET representative about the electric scooters being ready for the topography of Belo Horizonte. The answer was that they can face the climbs, but the main thing is that they use the brakes automatically on the descents so as not to exceed the speed limit of the region.
To use a JET in Belo Horizonte, you need to scan a QR code to unlock the scooter, for between R$ 2 and R$ 3. Then he is charged R$ 0.49 per minute.
After unlocking, you need to attach the cell phone to a holder and lift the rest. To start running, you need to push your foot forward, only then can the accelerator be activated.
JET scooters have brakes at the front and rear, each activated by one of the levers. In the instructions, it is said that the user must get out of the vehicle and push it when crossing the streets.
While scooters peaked, then disappeared from the streets and are now coming back, shared bicycles remained on the market. At first, the proposal was to be used for outings or in the daily routine, but they have been resignified in recent years.
With the increase in food delivery orders, the demand for delivery workers has also grown. In some capitals it was common to use these bicycles for deliveries.
In view of this, Tembici, which operates Itaú’s orange bicycles, has partnered with iFood focused on delivery workers. The difference is that the vehicle is rented in weekly or biweekly plans.
It is a more affordable alternative to motorcycle rentals and does not require a license. These bikes are also electric.
These small changes in urban mobility may not relieve traffic immediately, but they point out that there are alternatives.
