Alluvial Skateboard: Next month, there will be 4000 devices on the streets

Five companies will provide service in different neighborhoods; the units are already in Palermo and in other regions

Two months after the start of the pilot test
electric skateboards Five companies have already proposed to operate from next month, with a total of 4,000 units scattered around the streets of Buenos Aires. On May 1, the first aircraft circulated in the busiest areas of Palermo and from that day
they were installed in different corners of the city. Some time later, with the approval of a law that regulated its use, the game opened.

Lime, Bird, Movo and Kadabra are the companies that have joined Grin, the first to put more than 500 units on the street. The use of personal devices, more durable and designed to combine travel with public transport, has begun to grow steadily and the strength of its growth has reinforced the offer as a service. This milestone, which will begin next month, will be extended for one year and will be used as a test period to study their impact on urban mobility and their complementarity.

The skateboards will be in pre-established areas by the companies, who must propose the desired sites in advance. In the current state, it is to conclude agreements with shops, hotels, gastronomic places, cinemas, theaters and very frequented places.

Traffic, parking and the provision of services on squares, squares, parks, cemeteries, ecological reserves and other green spaces will not be activated. For this requirement to be met, the controls need to be adjusted, as users are already seen on skateboards, for example in the Palermo forests.

The company Grin operates in the districts of Palermo, Recoleta and Retiro; Movo does it in Plaza San Martín, Plaza de Mayo and part of Puerto Madero. Both charge the same price for the use of their electric skateboards: $ 15 per unlock and $ 8 per minute of use. The same application used to unlock and pay is used to find the areas where they are and where to leave them once the trip is over.

Unlike the Ecobici system, skateboards are not anchored or tied into a station. They are available on the sidewalks for free use and, contrary to what one might think, there are very few robberies, they said in Grin.

The regulatory framework approved by the city's Legislative Assembly establishes, among other things, safety regulations. The maximum speed limit at 20 km / h, front and rear lights, brakes, reflective elements and horn or horn are mandatory on skateboards; for users, the use of a protective helmet. Judging by what we see in the street, this last rule is not respected.

A road safety pact has been established between the Ministry of Transport and Traffic and companies to establish rules of conduct and raise users' awareness of the use of helmets, the priority of pedestrians, the circulation of runways Bicycles, prohibiting sidewalks, Children under 16 years old can not use skateboards, among other regulations. As stated, the helmet is not used and other rules are broken, such as traffic on sidewalks or on the street.

According to the operating agreement, the service will not be available all day, but there will be two slots. From September, they can be used from 8:30 to 20h. In summer, they will be extended from 7:30 to 21:00. The number of units will be authorized by the Government of Buenos Aires, but the minimum amount will be 250 skateboards, with a maximum of 4000 between the five. companies After three months, this figure can be revised.

"Our priority is that companies participating in the pilot test offer a safe alternative to neighbors and encourage the responsible use of their skateboards." We continue to develop transportation alternatives to promote intermodality in Buenos Aires , which will allow us to know the use of these new vehicles and evaluate which is the best option, "summarized Juan José Méndez, secretary of transport of the city, after the launch of this stage.

Rapid expansion

First advice

In March, several companies began to suggest that Buenos Aires would be the next city in the region to receive skateboards. These personal mobility devices had already landed in Rio de Janeiro, San Pablo and Montevideo.

Personal use

The growth of personal use of skateboards, which has begun to be felt, mainly in the microcenter of Buenos Aires, has been added to the interest of businesses.

In May, the law

Prior to a scenario of rapid expansion, the Government of Buenos Aires had planned and developed a regulatory project for the use of personal mobility aids. The law was pbaded on May 16th.