Shotl brings on-demand to Brazil

Shotl partners with Axis Mobfintech in a first/last mile solution pilot in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, starting November 2020. The collaboration is part of the MOVX project driven by the two mobility consortiums in the metropolitan area, Transfácil and ÓTIMO.

The MOVX project aims to significantly improve public transport services in the capital of Minas Gerais and its metropolitan areas through innovative technologies such as online payments, integrations, data management, passenger security or demand-responsive transport (DRT) services. 

The initial phase of the pilot includes two areas covered by one vehicle each. The first area will be in the São Gabriel neighborhood in the city of Belo Horizonte. The neighbourhood is sandwiched between traffic-intensive avenues and rail lines that isolate it from the rest of the city and has an important mobility hub (São Gabriel Integrated Station) at one corner. Our DRT solution will link it to the rest of the neighbourhood. 

Shotl has deployed several operations in medium-high density areas such as São Gabriel, with all of them experiencing a significant increase in ridership compared to previous fixed bus lines. Wait times also improved significantly in those areas. 

A second area will be tested in the city of Ibirité, on the southern outskirts of the metropolitan area. The area includes the neighbourhoods around the train station and the bus terminal. The city is covered by several bus lines with a relatively low frequency. We therefore believe a DRT would help reduce wait times in the areas covered by a single line.

Suburban operations are among Shotl’s biggest successes, with many of them achieving ridership figures several times higher than previous services, as well as huge reductions in wait times.

We envision helping the people of Belo Horizonte by providing a tool that makes public transportation in the area more convenient than a private car, thus giving them better and more equal opportunities and a comfortable mobility solution.