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Rio de Janeiro City Hall launches decree regulating the use of electric scooters.
Published on 10/03/2026 - 16:31 | Updated on 10/03/2026 - 18:39
The city regulates the service offered through the Sandbox.Rio program, which attracts innovative projects. Photo: Press Release/SMDE
Anyone who frequents Copacabana beach or travels through downtown Rio has become accustomed to seeing people coming and going on electric scooters. This service will be the first project of Sandbox.Rio, a cooperation program between the City Hall and the private sector, to receive definitive regulation through a municipal decree. The initiative aims to encourage the use of sustainable transportation alternatives, promote integration with bike lanes and other modes of transport – especially public transportation – and expand options for short trips.
Electric scooters began circulating in the city in June 2024, during the second cycle of controlled environment testing of the program by the Municipal Secretariat of Economic Development (SMDE), aimed at attracting new solutions to Rio. In two years, Sandbox.Rio has already tested ten projects, including the shared electric scooter service that will be regulated.
The data collected during 19 months of experimental operation of the micromodal system justify the regulation: more than 2,9 million trips were recorded, reaching a base of 972 active users, generating approximately 230 jobs, both direct and indirect, in the city.
– The Sandbox.Rio program allows us to understand the needs of our city and attract solutions to address them. More than that, testing allows us, through data analysis and observation, to design public policies that are more suited to the daily life of Rio, integrating these solutions into the municipality and offering better services and well-being to the people of Rio. As in the case of scooters, when designing the rules we encourage the use of this micromodal mode of transport, but prioritizing the safety of users and citizens – explains Osmar Lima, Municipal Secretary of Economic Development.
The municipal decree, published this week, officially creates the Electric Scooter Sharing System in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro and establishes the rules for operating the service in the city. It includes guidelines for offering the service focusing on road safety, organizing the use of public space, encouraging the democratization of access to micromobility services, and integration with the city's ticketing system – Jaé. The project will be implemented primarily in areas with cycling infrastructure and close to integration points with other modes of transport.
Sharing companies will be able to register.
The measure is accompanied by a public notice that will allow companies interested in operating the system on a regular basis to apply. The adopted model foresees operation by companies accredited by the Municipality, with scooters available for rent through digital platforms.
Operators must comply with technical and operational requirements, including geolocation mechanisms, organization of equipment pick-up and return areas – with physical stations (marked on the ground) and virtual stations (marked in the app), subject to authorization from the city hall – as well as educational campaigns to guide users on proper circulation and parking.
With this regulation, Rio takes another step in consolidating innovative solutions tested by Sandbox.Rio, transforming pilot projects into permanent public policies focused on sustainable urban mobility.
Interested companies will have 60 days to register by submitting an Operational Plan. The document must detail the service model, the number of electric scooters planned for operation, the technical description and design of the self-propelled individual mobility equipment, as well as operating hours, among other information. The registration process, as well as the management and oversight of the process, will be the responsibility of the Companhia Carioca de Parcerias e Investimentos (CCPar) and will be available on the SMDE website.
The Rio de Janeiro City Hall will analyze the submitted proposals and qualify the companies that meet the criteria established in the public notice and pay the license fee, valid for 36 months and renewable. After the initial registration period, the public notice will remain open for another three months for the possible entry of new companies interested in participating in the process. The complete public notice and all information will be available at the following link: http://desenvolvimento.prefeitura.rio/patinetes-eletricos.
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