Barcelona City Council has fined the operator of the city’s public bike-sharing service, Bicing, €150,000 for failing to meet maintenance and availability targets. The penalty was imposed on UTE Pedalem, the consortium running the service, due to repeated issues including battery failures during last summer’s heatwaves, brake faults, app malfunctions, and poorly maintained or empty stations.
The municipal mobility company BSM confirmed the fine was issued for “breach of commitments on availability or speed of maintenance”. The city is also launching a major overhaul of the system, which serves 173,000 subscribers and sees its 8,000 bikes used up to 16 times per day.
Full Electrification by Summer 2027
The most significant change will be the conversion of all 3,000 mechanical bikes into electric models before summer 2027, during the first half of the year. This will make Bicing a fully electric fleet. Laia Bonet, deputy mayor for Urbanism and Mobility, said the shift responds to user demand: while electric bikes make up 62% of the fleet, they account for 86% of all trips.
“We have taken good note,” said Bonet, describing Bicing as “a success that forms part of the identity of a city we can no longer imagine without it.”
Additional Measures to Improve Reliability
The improvement plan includes adding 400 new electric bikes before the end of 2026 to increase spare capacity during maintenance periods. The city will also boost spending on replacement parts, particularly brakes and batteries, the most worn components, and increase staffing levels for both mechanics and logistics crews who redistribute bikes across stations.
Rear brake failures have been a particular concern, with users reporting accidents. However, claims are difficult to pursue because the service rules require users to check the bike’s condition before riding.
The total cost of the upgrade programme is estimated at €5.8 million, with the largest share going towards the conversion kits, motors, controllers and cabling, needed to electrify the mechanical fleet.
Next Generation of Bicing
The current contract with UTE Pedalem, which began in 2019 and includes partners CESPA-Serveo (Ferrovial) and Canadian firm PBSC, has two years remaining. A public tender for the third generation of Bicing is expected soon, with the new fleet of 12,000 bikes planned to launch on 1st January 2029. The service, launched in 2007 with just 200 bikes and 14 stations, has seen journeys increase by 56% during the current contract period.
Sources: Ajuntament de Barcelona, bsmsa.cat.
