Green Economy Journal Issue 58

MOBILITY
e-Micromobility can
DRIVE SA CITIES INTO THE FUTURE,
starting in Rosebank, Joburg
While other countries are leading the charge with electric vehicles and renewable energy,
South Africa languishes in a power crisis and EVs on a mass scale seems like a pipe dream.
BY ANDILE SKOSANA, CITYCONSOLIDATOR.AFRICA
The revolution is coming and South Africa will have no choice
but to keep up. The ideal is a country, and cities, that are built
around sustainability and e-mobility, and, we would strongly
argue, e-micromobility. But the question is how do we get there?
This is how the Rosebank e-Micromobility Pilot Project was born
– a small public-private partnership that goes down to the most
granular level. Fifteen electric delivery bikes working within the
Rosebank Management District precinct, sharing the same solarpowered
charging kiosk that doubles as a battery-swapping centre.
But why e-bikes, why e-micromobility? South Africa’s roads are
built for cars and trucks. It would be no exaggeration to proclaim that
they are unsafe for e-bikes. Despite the proliferation of delivery bikes
in our suburbs. However, this is where we are, not where we want to
be. It should not be that one 75kg person starts up a two-ton internal
combustion vehicle to travel 3km to buy a litre of milk. Two-wheelers
take up less space, they are more environmentally friendly, more
manoeuvrable, more cost-effective and ultimately quicker because
of their convenience. Most importantly, they are more inclusive in
bringing more people into mobility generally. Introduced sustainably,
an e-micromobility ecosystem will make for friendlier streets.
Delivery bikes present a solid anchor point from which to enter
the e-micromobility discussion. Since Covid-19, e-commerce has
skyrocketed and will grow by 40% through 2025. This is one of the
only growing segments in the economy now, and yet there is policy
silence around the use of delivery e-bikes in cities. Where should they
park? What are the rules for training drivers? What are the set standards
and regulations? None of these questions can be answered, yet these
e-bikes are integral to our suburban and inner-city lives. There needs
to be rigorous thinking and planning around influencing policy
for the sector because we can shape the growth of the sector to
deliver convenience to other parts of the city and even the townships.
The pilot project talks directly to this glaring need. If we can build a
viable and safe e-micromobility ecosystem for delivery bikes, the next
step is to add commuter and personal recreational mobility to the
same ecosystem.
A project like this cannot exist without massive buy-in. The private
sector-led project has the support of the Rosebank Management
District, Transport Authority Gauteng, the City of Johannesburg
represented by transport, development and planning, the JRA
and the Smart Cities office. The Gauteng Department of Economic
Development is interested in issuing riders from Alexandra. The
private sector has been equally welcoming in the form of secondlife
storage battery business REVOV, SeeSayDo, SolidGreen, Mzansi
Aerospace Technologies as an accelerator, and Evo Motors will
provide e-bikes and Green Riders e-bikes and training. The list of
stakeholders grows daily.
The outcome will be an applied research case study that delves
into metrics to do with every aspect of the ecosystem, as well as
concept notes to influence policy. Gauging the performance of
the pilot will generate insights into e-bike and rider performance,
delivery metrics, carbon savings and much more. The concept
notes will include submissions to support the Transport Authority
Gauteng’s 2030 Smart Mobility strategy, a concept note on a green
mobility credentials and universally-standard swappable battery
ecosystems as well as precinct infrastructure and management
protocols for e-micromobility.
e-Micromobility provides South Africa with an opportunity to
catapult our cities into this new world, where they are not only more
economically viable but also more inclusive of people’s needs. Building
a world-class African city is the objective which will be achieved with
a bottom-up approach that lays the foundation for scale, responsive
policy and ultimately mass buy-in. This bottom-up approach might
start small but will grow to make “rands and sense”, changing the face
of our cities together.
WHAT
WE DO
Local
Procurement
International
Chemical
Procurement
Local Logistics
Cross Border
Logistics
End to End Logistics
of Copper Concentrate
through Africa
Sea Freight
We are a Zijin owned subsidiary, with multiple mining clients mainly in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
Our company specialises in supplying mining equipment, steel, and
consumables to our clients
We specialise in cross-border logistics throughout Africa
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