Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

The Bicing service moves towards a more sustainable electric model, adding 1,000 electric bikes to the 2,000 currently in service.

Thanks to a simple electric kit to transform a push-bike into an electric bike, the electric fleet will be increased in the summer by adapting 300 bikes. The transformation comes in response to the positive reception for electric bikes among Bicing users. Some 36% of all journeys made using the service involve electric bikes, with new subscribers using them more than older ones.

The increase in electric bikes coincides with the addition of new Bicing stations and a more even geographical coverage in the city, with the service reaching neighbourhoods with a more complex terrain. The new Bicing service now has 519 stations, 97 more than two years ago, and is available in neighbourhoods such as La Marina del Prat Vermell, Trinitat Nova, Canyelles, Vall d’Hebron, Vallcarca i els Penitents, La Clota, El Carmel, El Verdum, Les Roquetes and Ciutat Meridiana.

Boom for an innovative model

The second half of 2020 saw nearly 47,000 new subscribers sign up, some 11.5% more than the previous year, with 18% of new users from the neighbourhoods which previously had no Bicing stations. In terms of journeys, the figure surpassed 1.4 million journeys for the month of May, the highest number in the last three years. By the end of the year, the overall number of journeys for 2021 is expected to top 14 million.

Recent months have also seen the introduction of a new model of solid anti-puncture tyres, while a forecasting system is being developed so that users can check the estimated availability of bikes for the next 5 to 10 minutes at each station using the smou app.

Users can actually book push-bikes five minutes in advance at present (an option soon to be extended to electric bikes), check availability of bikes at stations, check their history of journeys and more, directly via the mobile app.