Technology to complement conventional transportation solutions | Business

“There is a real concern about the climate issue faced by the planet, and the automotive industry’s shift towards clean energy sources. But the excessive use of cars involves other issues,” said Professor Meli Malatesta, a member of the São Paulo Council of Architecture and Urbanism (CAU/SP).

She noted that today’s discussion in major metropolises is moving towards the rationalization of car use, integrated with other means of transportation, and better utilization of active mobility—on foot or by bicycle. “In this regard, the city of São Paulo has much to do. We expanded bike lanes between 2009 and 2013, but then that was halted. Our streets are in poor condition and our sidewalks are even worse, which is the main infrastructure for walking mobility. Our sidewalks are terrible also as a policy choice; while the streets are a state responsibility, the sidewalks are not.”

She also mentioned traffic violence. “There are 40,000 traffic victims each year in Brazil and what they represent economically, in terms of costs with hospital bed occupancy in [Brazil’s public healthcare system] SUS, or the spread of cities, which increases travel time. Today, it’s estimated that a São Paulo resident loses 32 days a year stuck in traffic jams,” she said.

Technologies can help rationalize vehicle use in cities, according to Diego Lira, a partner at digital car rental company Turbi. “We can’t eliminate those 32 days, but we can help reduce them. Each shared car takes 13 others off the streets. And I can prove that with Turbi, a digital car rental service that has spread cars throughout São Paulo: 50% of my customers own a car, the other 50% do not. My ‘heavy user’ doesn’t own a car. Whenever they need to travel short distances, they can use a ride-hailing service. When traveling longer distances or to other cities, they prefer to rent a car. I may have 20 customers using the same car in a month. That’s optimization.”

The collection and intensive use of data are the path to rationalize mobility issues in the cities of the future, said Ingrid Barth, president of the Brazilian Association of Startups (ABS). “Rather than thinking about flying or driverless cars, what we need to consider is collecting data and turning them into creative solutions for big problems. From collective transportation solutions for children who attend the same school and live nearby to better combinations of transportation means.”

The Internet of Things (IoT) is also helping in this process, said Thiago Hipólito, innovation director at 99. “In the 99 app, drivers can access a heat map to learn how long they’ll be stopped at a given traffic light,” he exemplified.

The issue of sustainability and decarbonization also intersects in this field, he added. “The future of the ride-hailing market is electric. First, because of the economic impact on the driver’s life, with an 80% cost reduction compared to combustion-powered cars. Our goal this year was to have 3,500 electric vehicles, a target we met in May and have doubled to 7,000. It’s a faster rate than in society due to this characteristic.”