New electric scooters face Campo Grande's pothole problem, video goes viral
Newly introduced electric scooters in Campo Grande, Brazil, are already encountering significant challenges due to the city's numerous potholes, as captured in a viral video. The footage, recorded on Tuesday, September 7th, the same day the scooter service launched, shows influencer Maria Alice struggling to navigate the uneven terrain. She had to slow down and swerve to avoid multiple potholes while riding between a shopping mall on Afonso Pena Avenue and the Parque das Nações Indígenas. Alice, a local content creator, stated that while her overall experience with the scooter was positive, the poor condition of the bike lanes severely hampered her ride, forcing her to constantly dodge holes. She emphasized that these road defects affect not only car drivers but also users of bicycles and scooters, sharing a personal anecdote of her car wheel being damaged by a pothole at night. Alice believes the arrival of electric scooters could spur much-needed infrastructure improvements, arguing that technological advancements are futile without adequate infrastructure to support them. The city has deployed 400 electric scooters through a partnership between Agetran and JET, initially available in the Centro, Jardim dos Estados, and Vila do Polonês neighborhoods, as well as parts of the Parque Ecológico do Sóter. The service is for individuals over 18, requiring the GO JET app for use, with unlock fees starting at R$0.99 and usage at R$0.39 per minute, subject to demand variations. The scooters are equipped with GPS, lights, brakes, and a top speed of 20 km/h, with users instructed to park them at designated spots without obstructing public access.
The viral video highlights a common urban infrastructure challenge: the mismatch between new mobility services and existing road conditions. The introduction of electric scooters, while a positive step towards diversifying urban transport and potentially reducing car dependency, exposes the critical need for proactive maintenance of public spaces. The city's investment in new technology appears to outpace its commitment to fundamental infrastructure upkeep, creating a friction point for users and potentially undermining the intended benefits of the service. This situation underscores a broader systemic issue where the rapid adoption of micro-mobility solutions requires a parallel, robust investment in safe and well-maintained pathways to ensure equitable and efficient urban mobility for all residents.
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