Skateboards: a new mode of urban transport | Chronic

@ Antoravinale

Many were lucky enough to skateboard when they were small, otherwise that's your chance! What was considered a toy for children has been used by different companies as a means of sustainable transportation to move in the big cities. In Europe and Latin America, this method of urban mobility has been in use for some time and, for the fate of many people, Argentina will not be left to enjoy it.

After the presence of some of these two-wheeled vehicles in the streets of Buenos Aires and after the firm initiative of several national and international companies to position themselves in the epicenter of the porteño, the municipality had to take measures to be able to use them. . As a result, they amended CABA's Transportation and Transit Code because there was a legal vacuum that did not cover this new phenomenon and "in the city what is not mentioned in the highway code can not flow"Assistant Secretary for Sustainable and Safe Mobility of CABA, Paula Bisiau in dialogue with Chronic. In this regard, he warned: "From the government we had to check whether this means of transport was safe and sustainable. The law has shown that people who move on skateboards can do it safely."

"What came out of the legislature is the fact that the electric skateboard which is legally called the micromovility vehicle, which does not exist today but which can be invented tomorrow with this same type of characteristics, can circulate in the city of Buenos Aires. under certain characteristics. This is for anyone who can legally use a skateboard, says the professional. And he explained that it was a private method in which the government would not participate: "We will not subsidize that and private companies will have their own people who use the app and pay for the trip ".

Last Thursday the law authorizing "Single or multi-wheeled vehicles with only one seat and powered exclusively by electric motors"Circulate in the city of Buenos Aires." It was approved with 42 positive votes, one negative and 12 abstentions.

The standard establishes a series of requirements for the use of electric skateboarding. These must include a braking system on the wheels, a footrest, an audible or audible warning device, reflective elements, front and rear lights. They are prohibited from driving on the road, except for avenues such as sidewalks and the use of the helmet is mandatory.

On the basis of these provisions, on Friday, May 24, the international society Smile He rolled out his skateboard rental system in Buenos Aires during a major event at the Palermo racetrack. Chronic spoke with the spokesperson of the company, Iván Amelong: "We are very happy because we have been working on the service for several months and we think that today we are ready to propose this new mobility alternative. We were waiting for the enactment of the bill and, a few months ago, we were working with the operation, with the technology team, with several stores. Today, the law offers the opportunity to offer this service. We have been in contact with the government for some time. We expected the definitions and this legal framework to function in this way"he announced.

Smile It is the first company to arrive in the country. They plan to have more than 500 skateboard stations in CABA that will be distributed by different companies because, like all private services, they will not be able to invade the public space and avoid falling into the crime. The first few months will be concentrated only in Palermo and Recoleta, although they hope to migrate to the center. "Today, we do not have an estimated date, but we will grow when we see the interest of the users, when our operation will mature and our conversations will progress with the city."said the official spokesman.

The municipal administration is one of the main actors in this advance towards the micro-center, as it would help to avoid car saturation, delays and even the reduction of pollutant emissions. These micromobility vehicles are designed for distances of up to eight kilometers and to connect with other transports.

However, it may happen that users of the company do not respect the rules of the road or leave the skateboards when they arrive at the desired destination. Then Amelong explained: "We work with shops so that the journey starts and ends at a Grin station, which avoids messy situations and, at the same time, we know that we will create incentives for users to comply with these places. . But we depend a lot on user usage. We have a system of penalties for users leaving the coverage area ".

Other parts of the world

Great "pioneer"Skateboarding was the city of San Francisco, California, in 2017. Then, quickly, this means of transportation spread across the rest of the United States and crossed the Atlantic. next year to arrive in Europe. " France was the first city of the old continent to implement this service and migrated gradually to other cities such as Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Lisbon and Brussels, etc. In addition to avoiding traffic and simplifying the mobility of the inhabitants, the focus was on ecology It is for this reason that the invention remained in place, but that it presented a novelty, it also had disadvantages, because companies had to adapt to legal and regulatory frameworks that favored a perfect coexistence of different cities. regions of Brazil and Uruguay to finally reach the southern hemisphere of Latin America: Argentina.

Is the use of skateboards practical?

To use this service, you must download an application in which the user data is inserted, as well as the credit card number desired to make the payment. When you meet a skateboard, the mobile phone is brought to a QR code to unlock it. This basic process costs $ 15. Every minute of the trip adds $ 8. So ten minutes would cost $ 95.

According to a survey conducted by Chronic 72% of citizens use public transport, while only 18% prefer the car. Therefore, they understand that the biggest drawback of their movements in the city is the transit that takes time. After consulting with them to be able to use the skateboards, the 44% said yes, although 62.7% stated that they would replace their urban means of transport with this new personal mobility vehicle. In any case, these results were anticipated by the company since it had announced that the skateboards did not replace the traditional means of transport, but completed the journeys.

"They seem "cool" and fast, it is easier to avoid traffic and most are foldable, which is convenient to take with you at any time.";"I manage my schedules and I do not depend on the frequency of public transport";"I find them fun"; "I would not breathe the sneezes of people above the collective", were some of the answers of the people consulted by this means.

The long awaited skateboards are a complementary, fun and environmentally friendly service and are part of a different experience. Moving with them through the city gives a feeling of freedom and carries a lot in their childhood. So, would you use it?