The Brazilian Motorcycle Taxi Phenomenon

摘要

This paper reports the advent and the development of public transportation services using motorcycles, operated like taxis, in Brazil. It is named mototaxi and the first organised system was implemented in 1996. Although the use of motorcycles (with 2 or 3 wheels) is common in some Asian cities, in Brazil it is a recent phenomenon and it is gathering a good part of the users preference. One of the main differences of the Brazilian mototaxis and the similar ones used in Asia is that normal motorcycles (with no special adaptations) are used. From the beginning in the Northeast of Brazil, this service is now used all over the country, mainly due the lower cost, when compared to a normal taxi, and the higher average speed and route flexibility when compared to a bus system. Surveys carried out in the cities of Fortaleza and Campina Grande considered mototaxi as a modal choice although, at that time, the service was not regulated yet. An interesting aspect of this service is that the demand is increasing in small cities and also in medium and big ones. It is present in the poorest areas of the country and in the richest as well. In some places it is the only transport service available to the majority of the population. The research reported in this paper was carried out considering not only the technical reports and legislation, but also the news and reports published in magazines, newspapers and the Internet, revealing the society point of view about the service.