Features
2 jan 19

WIKIFLEET Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, now online

Global Fleet has kicked off 2019 with the announcement of three Wikifleet country profiles. Ranked by population, they are Peru with approximately 31mn inhabitants, followed by Bolivia with 11.1mn, and Uruguay with 3.37mn.

As for Peru, which is composed of 25 regions and one province, its economy has improved in recent years. Poverty and unemployment levels have fallen dramatically in the last decade, and the country – as of 2018 - boasts one of the best performing economies in Latin America.

Its capital Lima has some 9.87mn residents and the country posts a non-adjusted GDP of US$6,774 per capita.


Traffic in Lima, Peru (Source: Shutterstock)

Its Andean neighbor, Bolivia, varies significantly in altitude, featuring regions which are humid and tropical, and others which are cold and semiarid.

Most of its population lives in the high-altitude plains of the west known as the Altiplano, with larger settlements also found in and around the city of Santa Cruz which is situated on the eastern side of the Andes.

It’s capital, La Paz, is home to approximately 813,000 people, and Bolivian’s earn about half that of Peru on average.

Finally, Uruguay is actually the second-smallest South American country (after Suriname). It is mostly made up of rolling plains, but also has fertile coastal lowlands.

Most of the population resides in the southern half of the country, with some 80% living in urban areas. Nearly half of the population lives in and around the capital of Montevideo with 1.38mn residents.

In general, Uruguay has a free market economy characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, and high levels of social spending. With the help of its main trading partners and Mercosur counterparts (Argentina and Brazil), the country boasts a steady economy.


Shared Mobility

In an attempt to resolve traffic congestion and provide more sustainable mobility solutions through the increased use of bicycles, the Urgente Pedal (Urgent Pedal) pact was signed in the Peruvian capital of Lima in 2017.

Although several entities and business groups signed the pact, a local study carried out later that year revealed that only about 2% of the population in the city would be willing to replace their car with a bicycle or non-motorized vehicle.

Sustainable mobility solutions are definitely on the minds of Peruvians but implementing any significant changes may take a while.

Meanwhile, ride-hail services are on the rise in South America and maybe even too much in some cities. In Bolivia, Uber first started in the city of Santa Cruz in October 2016 and it has been present in the federal capital of La Paz since February 2017.


As for Uruguay’s capital Montevideo, new driver applications for ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Easy were prohibited during most of 2018 as more than 3,600 drivers were already operating in the city.


The restriction has become a large debate between unions, associations and Uber and Easy.


Visit the profile pages of these countries and more for information on topics such as the automotive market, taxation & legislation, safety & insurance, key trends, among others.


 


 

Authored by: Daniel Bland