- Ferrovial will manage the bike-sharing service for 10 years under a contract worth €163 million.
- The service will start up with 6,000 conventional bicycles and 1,000 electric bicycles.
- It will have a network of 519 combined conventional/electric bike stands.
- Users will be able to reserve a bicycle 5 minutes in advance using their mobile phone.
Ferrovial Services, in consortium with Canadian company PBSC Urban Solutions, has been awarded a contract worth €163 million to provide a bicycle-sharing service in Barcelona for the next 10 years.
This contract, the largest of its type in Spain, ushers in a new era in bike-sharing as the service is to be provided round the clock, 365 days per year. It will start with 6,000 conventional bicycles designed to be retrofitted to electric, plus 1,000 electric bicycles, and a network of 519 electric/conventional parking stations. Using a mobile app, users will be able to reserve a bicycle a few minutes in advance of arriving at the station.
Ferrovial Services will execute the contract in cooperation with Canadian company PBSC, a leader in public bicycle solutions that has implemented similar projects in London, Toronto, Montreal, Melbourne, New York, Reykjavik and Chicago, among others.
Ignacio Gastón, General Manager of Ferrovial Services Spain: “This new service puts Barcelona to the forefront among innovative cities as a leader in sustainable transport. It is a key milestone in our commitment to developing mobility solutions that are environmentally friendly and offering citizens a distinctive modern service with a good user experience. Our partner is the best, enabling us to implement the latest technology in hybrid bike-sharing in Barcelona.”
The contract combines Ferrovial Services’ experience in operations and logistics in municipal services with its capacity to develop environmentally-friendly solutions. Ferrovial’s services subsidiary launched ZITY, an all-electric car-sharing initiative, in December 2017.
This new service puts Barcelona to the forefront among innovative cities as a leader in sustainable transport. It is a key milestone in our commitment to developing mobility solutions that are environmentally friendly and offering citizens a distinctive modern service with a good user experience
About the bicycles
Barcelona’s new bikes are designed with passion for users and operators in modern mobility ecosystems. The shared electric bicycle has the most innovative and advanced design in the market:
- A high-capacity battery built into the aluminum frame gives a range of over 60 km.
- Users can enjoy a smooth, comfortable ride, free of noise and vibrations.
- A single-speed motor in the back axle adapts to provide assistance as the user needs it.
- The mobile application provides an easy-to-use interface that allows users to customize their experience by automatically registering their preferences.
Intelligent stands with a smart system
The charging stations are distributed on the basis of the layout of the city and its public transport system. They ensure that bicycles are always fully charged and ready for use.
The smart charging stations offer:
Flexibility: the stands monitor and relay information about each bicycle’s status, battery charge, diagnostics and usage statistics, guiding users to the bicycle that best meets their preferences. The smart stations can accommodate both conventional and electric bicycles, and charge electric bicycles automatically.
Performance: in contrast with other suppliers, PBSC has developed a system that does not require manual charges or battery replacements. By taking power from a single connection point per station, it minimizes installation costs.
Safety: the system is certified to the strictest safety and quality standards in the market.
