The increase in more requirements to have a private car in Mexico City puts on the table the concern about whether it is profitable to acquire a car as a means of transport or if it is time to opt for other mobility services by application such as Didi, Cabify or Uber.
The Ministry of Economy, published at the beginning of May in the Official Gazette of the Federation, the NOM 236-SE-2021, in order to add a new verification to the physical-mechanical conditions for all vehicles weighing less than 3,857 kilos. . The standard is added to a series of requirements that are requested of vehicles.
In addition to the mobility requirements, the continuous activation of the environmental contingency and the Hoy no circular program, limit the driving of private vehicles, according to the CDMX Environment Secretariat, during the first days of May, more than 1.7 Millions of cars stopped circulating in the city and its conurbation.
In other words, 100% of the fleet with hologram 2 could not circulate due to the atmospheric environmental contingency; To this is added 60% of the vehicles with hologram 1, and 40% of the most recent vehicles with holograms 0 and 00. Data from the CDMX government indicate that in 2021 the Program for Atmospheric Environmental Contingencies was activated four times,
Car or application taxis?
Maintaining a car in Mexico has an annual cost between 47,584 and 58,809, taking into account on average Mexicans travel from 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers a year and with a gasoline yield of 10km/l, the cost of fuel is from 22,450 to 33,675 pesos; To this is added expenses such as insurance (from 8,000 to 12,000 pesos on average), preventive maintenance (4,000 pesos), parking expenses (12,000) and Verification (1,134 pesos), without counting expenses for unforeseen events or in the case of being a car. new monthly payment and down payment.
The study carried out by the Didi platform details that the acquisition of their own vehicle for a person who travels an average distance of 24.7 kilometers a day, implies an investment of close to 160,000 pesos during the first year, the study takes as a reference the most sold in Mexico, priced between 260,000 and 350,000 pesos.
While a survey carried out by the financial services comparator Coru.com and the market research company Brad Engagement, details that users make up to three trips per week, with a constant weekly expense for the use of the mobility service by application . The majority of users (66%) spend 300 pesos, while for 22% it is between 300 and 500 pesos and for 2% it is more than 500 pesos a week.
Based on these data, the average annual expense ranges between 15,600 and 26,000 pesos per year, however this amount may vary according to the rate and route made due to the nature of the on-demand transportation service.
When thinking about mobility, the user must be placed in the center, since the different options serve to adapt to the life of the citizen, for this an analysis of their particular needs must be carried out.
different needs
For example, today young people prefer to move and pay rent in places closer to their work or with a greater number of services, since they have short trips, the acquisition of their own car represents an unnecessary expense.
While families demand the benefits offered by the acquisition of their own car, such as more space, since currently the platforms only allow the transfer of three passengers per trip, which means an even higher expense when moving through mobility apps.
The mobility-on-demand platforms themselves, such as Didi and Cabify, detail that the acquisition of a car for a user who travels short distances of less than 25 kilometers is 44% more expensive than if he uses mobility apps, however they recommend the acquisition of their own car for those who travel more than 32 kilometers per day.
