Shared-use electric skateboards revolutionize Buenos Aires transit

MOSCOW: They will revolutionize urban transport, as in the big cities of the world.
The shared motorized skateboards will arrive very soon in Buenos Aires. In July, some 1,000 units will start rolling in the city and become the stars of alternative transportation.

In only two and a half months will begin the pilot test that the Government of Buenos Aires will launch and then grant the service. Up to now, three companies have participated, but perhaps more. The idea is to test the integration of skateboarding in the transit of Buenos Aires and, from December, to integrate them permanently.

The announcement was made this afternoon by Esteban Galuzzi, Deputy Secretary of Public Transit and Transportation of Buenos Aires, at the Summit of the leaders of the public transport, gathering the heads of the transit of the principal cities of the world , so listen to some cities, like Moscow and Berlin. , Amsterdam, Madrid, Montreal and especially the number one, Singapore, to order the city. This is a meeting convened by the International Union of Public Transport (UITP) and the Moscow government in which Buenos Aires was invited because it is the Latin American city that was the best placed in the ranking that badessed concrete measures adopted by local governments to order transit.

The metrobus, the Sube map, the pedestrianization of streets and avenues, the extension of the metro and the free bicycle stations were the wheelies of Buenos Aires as a success story, as defined by UITP itself. even. "The case of Buenos Aires is a good example of how cities with fewer resources than capitals of developed countries can have strategies that generate a positive impact on urban transport," said one of the organizers.

How will they work

Unlike bicycles, scooters will not be free. Unlocking will cost 25 pesos and between 6 and 8 pesos per minute. This means that a trip of 25 blocks, calculated in ten minutes, will cost between 85 and 105 pesos. Globally, the equivalent of a dollar is usually charged for unlocking, plus 25 cents a minute, or about 10 pesos.

It will be paid by card or cash, via an app and the cost will be similar to that of a taxi. Therefore, it is used for short distances. Although we expect that there will be excellent promotions and discounts at launch and that the competition will lower prices compared to the real market value.

In large cities, it is not used as a means of transportation per se, nor as a means of recreation, but rather as "the last mile vehicle". So, instead of walking 15 blocks, after the subway, to get home or take a bus, porteños can choose skateboard as an alternative to a relatively short ride.

Another peculiarity is that there will be no stations. The user must enter the application from his phone to locate the location of a skateboard near you, walk there and, after unlocking from the phone portable, access your destination. Although at the pilot stage, you will have to leave it in the premises provided for this purpose,
Once the use of shared skateboards is regulated, you can leave it in the designated boxes that will be on the sidewalks. In other countries, it is not even necessary to take it to a train station. The user can leave it at the door of his house.

In other countries, companies that operate this service generally opt for a collaborative mode. That they offer to pay a certain amount to the people who collaborate with them: that they collect the skateboards that are near them, charge them at night and in the morning, they bring them back to the posts of departure.

Before arriving in Moscow, Galuzzi was in Helsinki, where the system works like almost everything in Finland: perfectly. The undersecretary himself tested the service and used it to get to the station. Some of the companies that will participate in the pilot test in Buenos Aires are also present in Helsinki.

"We know that the most important thing for the neighbors is to get home quickly or to work, reducing travel times, which is why we are going to add this new mobility alternative to the metrobus network, the cycle paths and the to the various public transport improvement policies The electric skateboards are agile, comfortable and are used in the main cities of the world to make short trips and connect to public transport ", said the secretary.

Where to park them

According to Galuzzi, discussions have been held with companies such as Starbucks and Farmacity, so that initially, the skateboards are left on the spot.

At the global level, it was explained, there are three models: the first is the one that works with fixed stations, such as bicycles, but through alliances with private companies. But for this type of vehicle, it becomes less convenient because it is supposed to be used to make short trips for which there is no other connectivity. The other model is the one that works by zones: that is to say, parking zones are created in neighborhoods, in certain neighborhoods. The third model is the one that lets you leave skateboard anywhere.

In order for the skateboards to arrive, the Buenos Aires legislature still needs to approve the Transit Law Bill pbaded by the Government of Buenos Aires to incorporate and define the figure of the electric skateboard as a means of authorized locomotion. Then the Ministry of Transport will issue a resolution to establish the terms of use. That is to say that to drive on a motorized skateboard, it will be mandatory to wear a helmet, the vehicle will have a limit of 25 km / hour and it will be possible to drive on bike paths, bike paths and in the street or avenues, except July 9, when There is an exclusive path. It will not be possible to move in the path.

The incorporation of electric skateboards in traffic is in line with trends in major cities that have improved the management of their traffic, such as Berlin, Madrid, Montreal and Amsterdam. And also, here in Moscow, where it is usual to see people doing skateboarding, in its traditional or motorized version. The boys who go to school and the men in suits go to the office.

This city has also recently expanded its trails in large avenues and this is where skateboards move. Even motorized unicycles can be seen in the city center, used as a means of transport.

Why incorporate skateboarding? The transport manager of different cities explained that to offer more options to locals to move from one place to another, the green options, as they call them, that is, say without impact on the environment, are one of the measures that discourage the use of the private car, and that promotes the use of the public transport network. Bicycles, skateboards, shared-use cars, groups that work on demand, among other measures.

In addition, he said, skateboarding is generally more user-friendly than cycling and is a first step to then reach the world of cyclists. In the streets of Buenos Aires, more and more people are on the bike paths, especially in Palermo and Belgrano, aboard their own skateboards. And from July, they will also be able to use the shared electric skateboards.