This action is part of the administration's policy of encouraging the sharing of public equipment.

Starting in the first half of April, Fortaleza should already have a system of shared public electric cars. The project was launched this Thursday (January 21st) by Mayor Roberto Cláudio, during a press conference at the City Hall. There was also a demonstration of the electric vehicle model, which is entirely manufactured with recycled material. A total of 15 units will be available to the public, distributed across 10 stations. The project is coordinated by the Municipal Secretariat of Conservation and Public Services (SCSP), through the Fortaleza Immediate Action Plan for Transportation and Traffic (PAITT).

During the press conference, Roberto Cláudio recalled that the car-sharing idea is part of the municipal administration's actions to encourage public transportation, such as exclusive bus lanes, shared bicycles, air-conditioned buses, and soon, the offer of free Wi-Fi on public transport vehicles. "This is an idea that takes into account the need to encourage the use of public transport, while offering greater individual convenience, stimulating social sharing, and having positive impacts on the environment by reducing pollution," said the mayor, emphasizing the importance of encouraging the sharing of public facilities.

The first 10 stations will operate in Praça do Ferreira, Beira Mar, Del Paseo Shopping Mall, Iguatemi Shopping Mall, Benfica Shopping Mall, North Shopping Mall, Parangaba, Airport, Náutico and Varjota.

The Mayor explained that, although the planning and operation are the responsibility of the municipal government, the costs for acquiring and maintaining the vehicles will not burden the municipal coffers. Similar to the shared bicycles, the costs will be covered through sponsorship or multi-sponsorship.

The public notice will be released on February 11th of this year, with the opening on the 26th of the same month. The operation of the shared vehicles should begin in April. "Our goal is to increasingly reduce the number of private cars in the city, through alternatives that benefit the individual, society, and the environment," stated the mayor.

Roberto Cláudio highlighted the pioneering nature of the initiative, with Fortaleza leading the way among Brazilian cities in launching the program. He noted that only three cities in the world have already established the program: London, Paris, and Indianapolis in the United States. "This is a project that begins with a pilot program, but as citizens participate more, we will expand the number of stations and vehicles, aiming to have 30 stations by 2017," said the mayor.

To join the project, interested parties must have a driver's license, present proof of residence, and pay a membership fee, which will be used as a consumption credit, in the amount of R$ 40.00. The minimum value is R$ 20.00 for 30 minutes, with the tariff increasing for each minute used, at rates comparable to taxi fares. The same responsibilities as those of a private car will apply.

The 'car-sharing' model aims at integration with other existing modes of transport and buses, which are undergoing increasing development of their infrastructure, with bike paths, bike lanes and exclusive bus lanes under the current administration.

According to Dante Rosado, an engineer with the Fortaleza City Hall, this pioneering system in Brazil will allow the city to expand its efforts towards more sustainable mobility, reducing the contribution of transportation to greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution, benefiting the environment, as well as encouraging carpooling and reducing the number of vehicles in the city. He also emphasized that the electric system reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 61%.

Source: City Hall of Fortaleza