Bicycle-sharing system: an exploratory research on the potential of this market in the city of Nova Iguaçu-RJ

Abstract

Traffic problems in Brazilian metropolises have become increasingly intense in recent decades, generating economic, social and environmental externalities. This aggravated scenario ends up generating pressures that incite the need for solutions by public and private agents, and one of the answers is the creation of the National Policy of Urban Mobility, which defines active transportation, among them the bicycle, as a priority. This study had the general objective of verifying the market potential for the implementation of a bike sharing system in the city of Nova Iguaçu-RJ. Thus, a market research was conducted for qualitative analysis of this latent demand among the respondents. The survey was carried out through descriptive research, with an electronic questionnaire for primary data collection. A total of 175 responses were collected, 149 of which qualified for the study. It was verified that there is interest, on the part of the majority (62.42%), in the implementation of a bike sharing system in the city of Nova Iguaçu-RJ. The main points of preference for bicycle sharing service stations were also mapped, as well as the prices for the service, which varied between R$ 5 and R$ 15. It is pointed out the need to expand this research in two directions: identification of the operational costs of implementing the system and verification of public policies related to the promotion of active mobility.