This series, hosted by WRI Ross Center’s Urban Mobility team, investigated the integration of shared mobility within Bogotá, Colombia; Mexico City, Mexico, and Curitiba, Brazil. The consensus among participants was that shared mobility services, like bike sharing and ride-hailing, are established technologies that could play a role in sustainability and decarbonization efforts. These efforts are most effective when supported by policies that help to integrate with existing mass transit, walking and cycling infrastructure, thus enhancing the overall efficiency and accessibility of urban transportation.

In the Latin American context, where car ownership is comparatively low but climbing, there lies a unique opportunity to leverage shared mobility as a catalyst for sustainable transport development. The workshops underscored the importance of fostering collaborative efforts among governments, mobility service operators and civil society. This multifaceted collaboration could include establishing continuous cross-sector partnerships, crafting comprehensive electric mobility strategies, clarifying data requirements and implementing flexible regulations for ride-hailing services.

Key Findings

  • Cross-Sector Collaboration: Establish ongoing partnerships across the sustainable mobility ecosystem. This includes reducing reliance on private vehicles, filling access gaps, and enhancing public transport and infrastructure.
  • Electric Mobility Strategy: Develop a collaborative strategy for transitioning to electric mobility. This involves integrating electric vehicle options in ride-hailing apps, electrifying taxi fleets and building charging infrastructure.
  • Data-Driven Policy: Foster a mutual understanding of data needs and availability. Collaborate on using data for policymaking, such as tracking vehicle speeds and analyzing pick-up/drop-off hot spots.
  • Formalize Ride-Hail Regulation: Recognize ride-hailing services within regulatory frameworks to create an integrated network of sustainable transport services. This will involve delineating responsibilities and mitigating risks.

Executive Summary

This document summarizes the views and issues addressed by invited speakers and discussants at the workshop series “Shared Mobility and a Sustainable Transport Future in Latin American Cities,” hosted by WRI Ross Center’s Urban Mobility team from August through October 2023. Discussions were held in Bogotá, Mexico City and Curitiba with local transport experts. The workshops set out to determine the opportunities and challenges of shared mobility in each city, particularly regarding the role of ride-hailing.

Participants affirmed that data-driven shared mobility systems can be a tool for sustainability and decarbonization. This works best when ride-hail complements mass transport, walking and cycling. Shared mobility systems in Latin America, leveraging lower car-ownership rates, could significantly aid sustainability and decarbonization through partnerships and focused efforts.

Collaboration opportunities between government, operators and civil society include establishing a means of ongoing cross-sector collaboration in the sustainable mobility ecosystem; developing an electric mobility strategy; fostering an understanding of data needs and availability, and identifying ways to bridge the gap between them; and formalizing ride-hail through flexible regulation that is part of a wider sustainable mobility system.