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The new Bilbaobizi service is already underway: more bicycles, higher fares and technological improvements

The renovated municipal electric bicycle loan service was launched on Monday with 790 units, new stations and a new usage tariff model. The City Council is committed to more sustainable mobility, but price increases have generated controversy.

 

Bilbao bikes. Photo: EITB Medeia.

Bilbao has already launched the new model of the public service of electric bicycles Bilbaobizi, which has a total of 790 bicycles and starts with two new anchor points, at 39 Zurbaranbarri Street and 6 Ignacio Ellakuria Street, and which is expected to increase its network throughout the year, with 1,250 bicycles and 68 stations to meet the growing demand, especially in the upper suburbs of the city.

Among the main innovations of the system are technological improvements to reduce vandalism, such as locking in the rear wheel, GPS location, acoustic alert and deformable sludge protection. Bicycles also have LED lights that are activated pedaling to comply with European regulations, and electric support will be deactivated from 25 km/h.

New tariffs and conditions of use

The new tariff system advocates a user-based payment model with two payment methods:

  • Regular users: Those who use a bike every day will have a fee of 25 euros a year, but they will also have to pay one cent for every minute they use the bike.
  • Occasional users: Rates will be set according to the time spent.

Spending limit: Ohko users will pay a maximum of 72 euros a year.

More innovation

Return of damaged bicycles at no cost: If the user detects that the bike has a mechanical failure, he can return it without penalty and take another one at the same stop for five minutes, provided he reports the incident.

According to data provided by the City Council, two million people have used Bilbaobizi since 2024. The City Council, in its presentation in May, explained that the aim of the renewed system is to consolidate this trend and use it as a sustainable alternative.

However, the increase in prices has aroused criticism. The cost to regular users will increase from EUR 20.2 to EUR 61 per year, which, according to estimates, could lead to a reduction in the number of subscribers 20 and the number of journeys by 25. However, the City Council expects revenue to increase by around EUR 1 million per year, and the companies that manage the service will benefit by 6%.

With this initiative, Bilbao aims to strengthen its sustainable mobility network and move towards a cleaner and healthier city model.

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