Changes in the use of municipal electric bicycles in the capital. Since February 1, its use is no longer free and a payment system is established. The basic contract responds to the pay-per-use philosophy. The trips will cost 0.50 euros for the first half hour or fraction. In the event that the trip lasts more than half an hour, the second fraction of up to 30 additional minutes will cost another 0.50 euros.
From 60 minutes of travel, each half hour or fraction will cost 3 euros. Furthermore, unlike what happened with the previous annual subscription, this contract will not require payment of an annual amount for access to the service in exchange for being able to travel for the first half hour at a price of 0.50 euros.
In addition, the service launches a flat rate of 10 euros per month that offers the great advantage that all trips of up to 30 minutes will be free. If the trip exceeds 30 minutes, the next half hour or fraction will have a cost of 0.50 euros and, if the duration exceeds one hour, the rate will be an additional 3 euros for each half hour or fraction.
The City Council points out that "it is a flexible contract since this self-renewing flat rate does not require permanence and, once the month is over, the user can unsubscribe at no cost and can be contracted from the new app in an easy and intuitive way ".
For the vice mayor of Madrid, Inma Sanz, the success of the Bicimad electric bike rental system is based on the fact that “it has managed to reach each and every one of the city's districts.” Sanz highlights that in this expansion “a free period was established,” which ends yesterday, “so that users would know about it and it would be used more.”
Sanz considers that now the system is “sufficiently well consolidated so that its operation will not have any problems.”
“We believe that the rates are also very competitive and we are sure that the uses will continue to be very important because there are people who have already become accustomed to using the bike more in our city of Madrid or as complete transportation to their destinations. destinations or as part of those journeys, combining it with other modes of transport, such as public transport,” added Sanz.
In this sense, he states: “We continue to grow in everything that has to do with sustainability” and “private vehicle use is reducing.”
Since last January 1, all subscribed users have a basic contract free of charge for the first month of the year. From now on, they will be able to voluntarily contract the aforementioned flat rate.
The capital now has 7,500 bicycles and 611 stations distributed throughout the 21 districts of the city. This service has doubled in recent months.
In the first ten months of operation, 6,580,586 trips have been made until December 20 and there are more than 330,000 subscribers.
