Bike Sharing as a Solution for Mobility Issues in São Paulo: Benchmarking …
683
9 Recommendations
How can São Paulo, the biggest city in a developing country, adapt to this reality,
now that the micromobility market is in retraction, with companies interrupting their
operations? The implementation of BSS in the city is still in an early stage, when
compared to Berlin and Shanghai, but since São Paulo is known for influencing the
rest of the country, the success or failure of a new technology will shape its expansion
in Brazil.
The São Paulo municipality should enable the entry of different BSS operators,
favoring healthy competition, but keeping an eye open for oversupply, especially
when it comes to dockless systems. Employing a low impact bike reallocation method
is also crucial to ensure the environmental sustainability of the whole system.
Permanent research in urban transportation planning must be conducted, in order
to incorporate new modals and technologies that reduce traffic jams, improving
environmental conditions and thus making quality of life better for the population.
The city hall could develop a “Plan for Bike sharing expansion”, including topics
like:
1. Demand management—would allow a better understanding of the consumer
profile, making the system more efficient, reducing relocation needs and avoiding
excess or shortage of bikes in the main points of interest.
2. System management—search for more efficient bike relocation, evaluating
environmental, social and financial impacts of the system from a life cycle
perspective.
3. System modernization—fourth generation adoption, GPS usage favoring data
generation that would allow for a constant improvement of the expansion plan.
4. Contracting services models—creation of a contracting model that avoids excessive fees that hinder the company permanence in the market. Different kinds of
agreements could be made since the BSS is integrated into the public transport
system and is considered a public service. The BSS operating companies could
be responsible for financing the expansion of bike infrastructure in the city, for
example, or data transparency could be mandatory.
10 Conclusion
This paper encourages the adoption of BSS in São Paulo. The specific case of the
city and the players involved was compared to the implementation of BSS in Berlin
and Shanghai so we can learn from these international experiences.
While this new transport modal brings benefits to cities and people, it can generate
negative social and environmental impacts so far unknown or irrelevant. The fiercely
competitive and dynamic market, low entry costs and pioneering benefits have led
operating companies to offer services even before identifying, measuring and evaluating the relationships with urban planning, the associated risks and social and
environmental impacts of BSS.
683
9 Recommendations
How can São Paulo, the biggest city in a developing country, adapt to this reality,
now that the micromobility market is in retraction, with companies interrupting their
operations? The implementation of BSS in the city is still in an early stage, when
compared to Berlin and Shanghai, but since São Paulo is known for influencing the
rest of the country, the success or failure of a new technology will shape its expansion
in Brazil.
The São Paulo municipality should enable the entry of different BSS operators,
favoring healthy competition, but keeping an eye open for oversupply, especially
when it comes to dockless systems. Employing a low impact bike reallocation method
is also crucial to ensure the environmental sustainability of the whole system.
Permanent research in urban transportation planning must be conducted, in order
to incorporate new modals and technologies that reduce traffic jams, improving
environmental conditions and thus making quality of life better for the population.
The city hall could develop a “Plan for Bike sharing expansion”, including topics
like:
1. Demand management—would allow a better understanding of the consumer
profile, making the system more efficient, reducing relocation needs and avoiding
excess or shortage of bikes in the main points of interest.
2. System management—search for more efficient bike relocation, evaluating
environmental, social and financial impacts of the system from a life cycle
perspective.
3. System modernization—fourth generation adoption, GPS usage favoring data
generation that would allow for a constant improvement of the expansion plan.
4. Contracting services models—creation of a contracting model that avoids excessive fees that hinder the company permanence in the market. Different kinds of
agreements could be made since the BSS is integrated into the public transport
system and is considered a public service. The BSS operating companies could
be responsible for financing the expansion of bike infrastructure in the city, for
example, or data transparency could be mandatory.
10 Conclusion
This paper encourages the adoption of BSS in São Paulo. The specific case of the
city and the players involved was compared to the implementation of BSS in Berlin
and Shanghai so we can learn from these international experiences.
While this new transport modal brings benefits to cities and people, it can generate
negative social and environmental impacts so far unknown or irrelevant. The fiercely
competitive and dynamic market, low entry costs and pioneering benefits have led
operating companies to offer services even before identifying, measuring and evaluating the relationships with urban planning, the associated risks and social and
environmental impacts of BSS.