The commitment to sustainability in cities leads to the stimulation of the use of new forms of mobility, such as electric bicycles or scooters.
Covid-19 increased Spaniards’ interest in sports, both outdoors and indoors. Now, before the arrival of spring and the end of many of the measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus, we are noticing that search trends in the “bicycles” category are only increasing on Amazon Spain, which has the 30% of electronic commerce is channeling in our country.
According to the consultancy Witailer, electric bicycles account for 19.98% of searches in their category within Amazon Spain, and Spaniards choose nature, sustainability and healthcare when choosing their products.
Similarly, the most searched terms in the bicycle category were those related to accessories, we can find searches such as “sports bottle”, “static pedals for the elderly”, “mountain bike saddle”, “xiaomi electric bike”, “children’s bike”. Users have insisted to search for subcategories that complement the bike, data that Witailer says shows that a large number of buyers already own their own bike and want to supplement it with other products.
“The fact that the pandemic has heightened the concerns of Amazon Spain users about sustainability and healthcare is undeniable, which is reflected in their searches within the ‘marketplace’,” said Ignacio Hurtado, general manager of Witailer in Spain . “Maintaining this trend is especially interesting because it allows us to observe how brands focused on sports activities can find new business opportunities within the e-commerce ecosystem.”
However, the data from the I Study on road safety in cities with the new mobility options from Midas, the chain specializing in large-scale car maintenance, shows that there is still a long way to go in the field of sustainable urban mobility and safety, since 67.78 % of Spaniards think that the city they live in is still not safe to ride bicycles or electric scooters.
As the report shows, those surveyed identify the lack of safety as the main obstacle for electric bicycles and scooters to become a common option for urban mobility. In this sense, Madrid (80.98%), Malaga (76.56%) and Murcia (71.11%) are the worst rated cities in terms of safety and adaptation to this type of vehicle, while only Seville residents (57 .89%) and Zaragoza (51.19%) believe their cities are safe for bicycles and electric scooters.
However, the majority of respondents are inclined to use this type of vehicle if the right conditions are met: 69% of citizens say that if their city were better prepared, they would use this mode of transport more often or as a common mode of transport. to use. transportation, according to research data.
“The data in our report shows that large cities are not safe for Spaniards and are not adapted to this mobility format,” said Jocelyne Bravo, Client & Digital Marketing Manager at Midas Spain. “For this reason, we believe that it is necessary to review the traffic education model in cities and look for new formulas to secure urban mobility,” adds Jocelyne Bravo.
With this research, Midas also wanted to know what the elements are that make users feel less safe when riding a bicycle or electric scooter in the city. 61.89% of Spaniards say that sharing lanes with other motorists makes them feel unsafe.
The introduction of more dedicated lanes for this type of vehicle will improve the safety of citizens and improve coexistence with drivers of other vehicles, as 61.79% of respondents state that the lack of training of other drivers increases their uncertainty.
On the other hand, weather conditions are one of the factors that most influence when driving around the city with a scooter or bicycle, 48.43% of Spaniards prefer not to use these vehicles in rainfall or high winds fear of accidents. Another cause that affects drivers (47.05%) is rush hour traffic, these kinds of setbacks make users reluctant to leave home with their two-wheeled electric vehicles.
Electric scooters and bicycles are not allowed to ride on sidewalks and it is forbidden to ride on interurban roads, intersections, highways, dual carriageways or urban tunnels. They are also not allowed to wear headphones or use a mobile phone or other device while driving.
The drivers are subject to the same maximum alcohol percentages allowed by the road safety law, as well as the prohibition to drive with the presence of drugs in the body.
The recent Traffic Act imposes an obligation for VMP drivers to wear a safety helmet, according to the conditions stipulated in the regulations. DGT is already working on this regulatory development together with the municipalities and the actors involved.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
