In the city of Gravataí in the southern part of Brazil, instead of targeting real criminals, local government organized a special operation with thirty military officers and transit agents to arrest citizens who charged for rides as an extra source of income.
The operation was organized not only by the Military Police but also by the local department for Mobility, even though the action affects small transit entrepreneurs throughout the city. The municipal secretary for Urban Mobility, Adão de Castro Junior, says the regulation and enforcement against illegal transportation is a permanent job and that citizens who give rides are a “risk for those who use it”, although their service is widely recognized as better than local public transportation.
Government reactions such as this one are extremely dangerous to the survival of ridesharing in Brazil. Cab locating apps are booming in main Brazilian cities, and local versions of Uber, Lyft and Sidecar should soon make an appearence. These ridesharing apps are proving to be very efficient, such as during the BART strike in San Francisco last week they had a 50% increase in shared cars, spontaneously taking care of transportation alternatives. To enjoy these positive outcomes Brazilian cities will have to rethink their regulations and the position of local governments on the issue by allowing competition and innovation with decentralized and collaborative transit.
by Anthony Ling
there’s already a local version in brazil – zaznu.
i tried it and it’s really similar to lyft.
http://zaznu.co