Uber Granted Permission to Operate e-Scooters in São Paulo City

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Uber was granted permission from the São Paulo City Hall to officially launch its e-scooters in the São Paulo capital. The decision was published on Friday, January 24th, in the Municipal Gazette.

Soon, the company should start operating in the city. An official date has not yet been released. InfoMoney contacted Uber and was advised that “preparations for the launch are at an advanced stage and, soon, users will be able to see the scooters on the cell phone screen”.

The introduction of the new means of transport on the platform is yet another step by Uber to gather several different services within a single App. Currently, in addition to driver service, the company operates a food delivery service, Uber Eats.

To use the company’s scooters in Santos, users pay R$1.50 (US$0,37) to unlock the vehicle plus R$0.75 per minute of use. Downloading a new App is not required.

Furthermore, with a focus on user safety, the company has closed a partnership with sportswear retailer Centauro, which will offer a 40 percent discount on the purchase of helmets and a number of safety items through its online store.

The city of São Paulo regulated the e-scooter service in October. Among the decrees, a monthly fee of R$30 per scooter and R$0.20 per ride was established to be charged from the company.

As for traffic, its use was restricted to bike lanes and cycle lanes, on roads with a maximum speed of 40 km/h and on streets intended for leisure provided for in the ‘Ruas Abertas’ (“Open Streets”) Program.

Source: Infomoney