Photo: Government of Mendoza

Smart mobility on the fast track in Latin America

23 June 2021

by Manuel Manrique

Mobility leaders in Latin America are working to strengthen urban transport in the region following the pandemic, with a particular focus on how to regain the trust of users.

Eleven secretaries and directors of transport met at a recent virtual roundtable organised by Cities Today to share their strategies.

Dr Natalio Mema, Secretary of Public Services for Mendoza in Argentina, explained that the strategy for the province aims to not only regain the confidence of passengers, but also to make transport services safer, more efficient, equitable and sustainable.

Dr Natalio Mema, Secretary of Public Services, Mendoza

The first step was to invest in digital innovation by providing residents and visitors with transport information in real-time through the MendoTran and Cuando Subo? (When Do I get on?) apps in sync with other applications, such as Google Maps and Ualabee.

According to Dr Mema, work to monitor and analyse changes in schedules and connection needs had begun in October 2019 but was fast-tracked during the pandemic.

“We are reviewing the Sustainable Mobility Plan 2030 and accelerating the process of digitising transport information to have more agile tools for public decision-making,” said Mema.

“We are also working on zero-emission mobility initiatives, by incorporating 30 electric buses into the network, expanding the bike path network in the Mendoza metropolitan region, from 81 km to 110 km, and deploying a shared bicycle system, BICITRAN, integrated into MendoTran. There will be 1,500 bicycles and 220 stations.”

Digital payments

As well as offering passengers more information through mobile phone applications, operators are also looking to make payments more efficient and COVID-safe through contactless options. Some Latin American cities already offer the option to pay using debit and credit cards, like Rio de Janeiro and Guatemala City, and others like Panama City and San José, Costa Rica are working to implement pilots. Cashless payments aim to simplify and streamline the experience for users by reducing the purchase and entry queues at transport hubs, minimising crowds at peak hours and increasing customer satisfaction using ‘tap and go’.

“The future is new Mobility-as-a-Service applications and there will be more integration in travel within the city and metropolitan regions without the need for interruptions to buy a new ticket,” said Fernanda Caraballo, Director of Business Development for Latin America at Mastercard. “This is a benefit for the frequent, infrequent and tourist travellers because they save time by paying with a debit or credit card and, in the case of tourists, the language barrier and doubts are eliminated, if they are in an unknown city.”

Caraballo says Mastercard’s aim is to transform the collection schemes for transportation systems to generate savings and efficiency for the city and for transportation operators, and to improve the quality of life for citizens.

“Mastercard seeks to offer the best solution that suits the specific needs of each city,” she added.

What citizens say

At the Maria da Graça metro station, in the North area of ​​Rio de Janeiro, Cities Today asked users about contactless payment.

“Paying with a card makes my life easier, I don’t waste time and I no longer queue. Hopefully this system will reach all modes of transport to improve the [experience for] people who use public transport,” said Tiago de Freitas, an engineer, who travels by bicycle to the metro station and from there to the city centre.

“Why not do this in all the means of transport in the city? You must integrate! This form of payment is the future and those who govern should think about this,” commented Vivian Feitoça, a mathematics professor and doctoral student, who uses the bus to get to the metro station.

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