Tag Archive: Spain

  1. Spain introduces public bike-sharing subsidies to promote sustainable mobility

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    Source: Cycling Industry News

    The Spanish government has announced plans to reduce bike-sharing costs and invest in expanding its infrastructure.

    For this new initiative, the Spanish Council of Ministers has approved funding to cover 30% of the typical costs associated with public bicycle loan services. This subsidy will enable users to take unlimited trips within a specified time frame throughout 2025. Additionally, local authorities will have the opportunity to enhance these benefits by offering an extra 20% discount through their own budgets.

    Jesús Freire, Secretary General of AMBE (Spain’s Association of Bicycle Brands), welcomed the initiative, stating:
    “At AMBE we celebrate the fact that shared bicycles are considered an integral part of the transport system, hence our support for this measure and the expansion of these systems to those cities and towns where they are not available, as well as the improvement of existing services, through their electrification and expansion of the number of bicycles and stations.”

    Investment in infrastructure and expansion

    In addition to user subsidies, the government’s program includes financial support for the development of bike-sharing infrastructure. Grants will cover at least 40% of the total cost of new infrastructure, with specific criteria for funding allocation. Bike-sharing stations must be located within 200 meters of town centers, and priority will be given to areas where such services are not yet available. The expected frequency of bicycle use will also be a determining factor in selecting grant recipients.

    The initiative is part of a broader strategy to promote sustainable mobility, particularly for short-distance urban travel. According to data from Spain’s Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, the majority of urban and metropolitan journeys are under 10 kilometers, making bicycles a viable and efficient mode of transportation. Furthermore, the increasing use of electric bicycles is expected to help overcome barriers related to topography and physical effort, making cycling more accessible to a wider population.

    The Spanish government has stated that detailed guidelines and application procedures for these grants will be published in the near future. Local Spanish authorities interested in securing funding are advised to prepare their proposals promptly to ensure access to this financial support in 2025.

    By investing in bike-sharing initiatives and infrastructure, Spain seeks to enhance urban mobility while reducing carbon emissions, for its efforts in aligning with broader environmental and sustainability goals.

  2. An uncertain future for micromobility services in Malaga, Spain

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    Source: La Opinión de Málaga

    Malaga City Council is set to revoke the temporary authorizations granted to six micromobility companies operating scooter and bicycle rental services in the city.

    The decision, announced by Mayor Francisco de la Torre during the Debate on the State of the City, signals the potential end of a service that has been a fixture in Malaga for nearly a decade.

    Regulatory breaches

    The companies affected by the decision—Lime, Bird, Link, Dott, Bolt, and Tier—were found to have violated the conditions of their permits, according to Mayor De la Torre. Each company was previously authorized to operate 225 personal mobility vehicles (PMVs), with Dott and Bolt also permitted 350 electric bicycles.

    “The proliferation of this service in cities, including Malaga, creates problems that we must address,” stated De la Torre. The city’s temporary authorizations were initially intended to sustain the service after a legal challenge disrupted efforts to regulate the sector through a concession model.

    Legal hurdles

    In 2022, the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) appealed the city’s plan to streamline operations under a single concessionaire. The CNMC argued that this system imposed undue restrictions on market access. While the lawsuit remains unresolved in the National Court, the City Council issued temporary permits to keep micromobility services operational. The revocation of these permits now places the future of the rental scooter market in jeopardy.

    Rising safety concerns

    The decision to revoke authorizations also comes amid growing concerns about the safety of electric scooters. Data from the Malaga Local Police reveals a sharp 72% increase in accidents involving scooters over the past three years. In 2021, 164 accidents were reported, rising to 212 in 2022 and 282 in 2023. During the first five months of 2024 alone, 187 incidents were recorded, 38 of which required hospital care.

    Future implications

    Without these temporary permits, the micromobility sector in Malaga could face a significant pause, if not a complete cessation. The City Council’s efforts to regulate the industry were intended to address issues such as oversaturation, safety, and public nuisance. However, ongoing legal and operational challenges have hindered progress.

    As Malaga grapples with this decision, it remains to be seen whether alternative solutions will emerge to address both the legal and practical complexities of micromobility in the city.

  3. Bicimad continue to grow with 19 new stations in six districts to be added in a system expansion

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    Source: Diario De Madrid

    From, October 22, Madrid’s public electric bike system, BiciMAD, will expand to include 19 new stations across six districts: Fuencarral-El Pardo (1 station), Moncloa-Aravaca (4), Puente de Vallecas (5), San Blas-Canillejas (3), Vicálvaro (4), and Villaverde (2). This addition extends the system to the neighborhood of El Cañaveral for the first time, with stations also set up in Ciudad Universitaria, Entrevías, Los Ángeles, Peñagrande, Rejas, San Cristóbal, and Valdezarza. To accommodate the increased coverage, 235 additional bicycles will be available.

    New locations

    This latest expansion strengthens the Madrid City Council and EMT Madrid’s commitment to promoting bicycles as a sustainable transportation option. Supported by NextGenerationEU funds under the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, this phase brings BiciMAD’s total to 630 stations and 7,735 bicycles across all 21 districts.

    The new locations were strategically chosen to enhance service density in high-demand areas and extend coverage to neighborhoods previously lacking bike stations. Many of these selections reflect requests from local councils, ensuring that both existing users and new areas benefit from improved access.

    Highlights include four new stations in El Cañaveral to support local mobility and connect with municipal bus routes, as well as expanded service in Ciudad Universitaria with new stations near key educational facilities. In Entrevías, five additional stations will increase bike availability, while Rejas sees three new stations, including two in Colonia Fin de Semana. Villaverde gains two stations that improve connectivity with the San Cristóbal de los Ángeles commuter train station. New stations in Valdezarza and Peñagrande will address the growing demand in those neighborhoods.

    New station locations:

    • Rosalia de Castro Street, 1 (Peñagrande, Fuencarral-El Pardo)
    • Faculty of Computer Science (University City, Moncloa-Aravaca)
    • UNED Central Library (University City, Moncloa-Aravaca)
    • Juan Andrés Avenue, 21 (Valdezarza, Moncloa-Aravaca)
    • Mayor Martin de Alzaga Street, 11 (Valdezarza, Moncloa-Aravaca)
    • Cultural Center of Tio Raimundo (Entrevías, Puente de Vallecas)
    • Cazorla Street, 79 (Entrevías, Puente de Vallecas)
    • Montiel Street, 27 (Entrevías, Puente de Vallecas)
    • Albarracín Mountains Street, 2 (Entrevías, Puente de Vallecas)
    • Municipal Sports Center of Entrevías (Entrevías, Puente de Vallecas)
    • Arcaute Street, 13 (Rejas, San Blas-Canillejas)
    • Fermina Sevillano Avenue, 23 (Rejas, San Blas-Canillejas)
    • February Street, 4 (Rejas, San Blas-Canillejas)
    • Blas de Lezo Avenue, 33 (El Cañaveral, Vicálvaro)
    • Miguel Delibes Avenue, 49 at Humildad Street (El Cañaveral, Vicálvaro)
    • Victoria Kent Avenue, 9 at Mario Moreno Cantinflas Street (El Cañaveral, Vicálvaro)
    • Mayor Andrés Madrid Dávila Street, 92 (El Cañaveral, Vicálvaro)
    • Eduardo Barreiros Street opposite 110 (Los Angeles, Villaverde)
    • Paterna Street, 55 (San Cristobal, Villaverde)

    Expansion over 10 years

    Launched in 2014, BiciMAD has grown from 1,560 bicycles and 123 stations in central districts to cover all of Madrid’s 21 districts with 7,735 bicycles. This expansion has been accompanied by significant technological upgrades to improve service efficiency and user experience across the city.

  4. Madrid takes steps to ban app-rented scooters over safety concerns

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    Source: The Guardian

    E-scooter providers, including Lime, Dott and Tier, Mobility licenses to be cancelled from October due to issues with circulation and parking.

    Madrid will ban app-based e-scooter rentals after the city’s three licensed operators failed to enforce limits on their users’ riding areas and parking, according to the city’s mayor.

    José Luis Martínez-Almeida announced on Thursday that the licenses for Lime, Dott, and Tier Mobility would be revoked starting in October, and no new licenses would be granted to other operators.

    The market was found to be incapable of meeting the requirements set by the mayor’s office to ensure the highest level of safety for citizens,” he said in a statement. The shared e-scooter system has faced criticism in cities worldwide for reckless driving and improper parking by some users.

    Following a public consultation, Paris banned e-scooter rentals last year.

    Since May 2023, Madrid’s city council had regulated the e-scooter rental market, allowing only Dott, Tier Mobility, and Lime to operate, with each authorized to rent out 2,000 scooters.

    These companies were required to provide the mayor’s office with access to their data and implement technology to ensure scooters were parked in designated areas and not used in pedestrian zones or near historic parks.

    However, the operators failed to comply, the statement said, adding they have 20 days to appeal the decision.

  5. Spain’s national railway services bans e-scooters due to fire risks

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    Source: Euroweekly News

    Renfe, Spain’s national railway service has announced an electric scooter ban on its train services, a significant change that will affect its passengers.

    From December 12th, the ban will come into effect and prohibit electric scooters, unicycles, and other battery-powered mobility devices from being carried on all its train services.

    The decision has come from a series of hazardous incidents that have led to battery fires on public transport from tampered or damaged batteries, use of incompatible chargers, and general wear and tear.

    Electric bicycles and vehicles for individuals with mobility impairments are excluded from this ban. Renfe’s board of directors have stated that public health and passenger safety are the main reason behind this new policy, ensuring its services run smoother and safer.

    This move follows similar measures that have been taken from regional Spanish train services and from European countries. UK & Ireland rail operators, as well as the city of Hamburg in Germany, have also restricted electric scooter usage on their trains.

    Once the ban comes into effect, Renfe can ask passengers carrying prohibited electric vehicles to disembark and will have security officers carrying out random inspections on their trains.

  6. Urban Mobility Days 2023 wraps in Spain

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    Annick Roetynck, LEVA-EU Manager, visited the three-day conference to engage with attendees and topics in the mobility sector.

    The Urban Mobility Days 2023 conference, held in Seville, Spain, was organized by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Mobility & Transport (DG MOVE), in collaboration with the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU. This significant event attracted over 800 participants from various parts of Europe and beyond, with both in-person and remote attendance options. The conference served as a platform for the exchange of ideas, insights, and innovations in the realm of sustainable urban mobility.

    Key topics discussed during the event included the establishment of a common European mobility data space, strategies for facilitating a Just Transition, and methods for integrating shared-mobility solutions into the urban mobility landscape. Given that 2023 was designated as the European Year of Skills, the conference also placed a special emphasis on developing and honing transport-related skills.

    Attendees were encouraged to engage with the panel sessions and explore the exhibition, with the hope of gaining inspiration for the promotion of sustainable mobility practices within their respective communities. The conference made recordings and materials available for those unable to attend in real-time, providing a valuable resource for all interested parties to access and review. Photos from the event were also made accessible for further reference.

  7. Mobility City opens on February 20 under the presidency of His Majesty the King

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    Fundación Ibercaja opens the emblematic Zaha Hadid Bridge in Zaragoza, converted into a Mobility City, an international benchmark for sustainable mobility for the future

    Source: Mobility City

    The avant-garde space will house the Mobility Museum, the first technological mobility museum that will offer visitors experiences, discoveries, interactive activities, exhibitions and the most striking proposals.

    Fundación Ibercaja has announced this morning the inauguration of this timely project and the opening of the Zaha Hadid bridge, the work of the renowned Iraqi architect and the only bridge she designed in Europe. The initiative, promoted by the Foundation together with the support of the Government de Aragón, aims to become the main technological and informative platform around sustainable mobility, as well as its development and innovation at an international level. Starting in March, you can enjoy this space and discover the importance of mobility for the future of humanity.

    Mobility City responds to Fundación Ibercaja’s commitment to return the Zaha Hadid Bridge, built for the 2008 International Exposition, to the public. “We have transformed an architectural icon into a unique element in the world, combining the aesthetic with the intellectual. Mobility City is going to be a place to look to, a prescriptive environment that will be listened to internationally and that will contribute to elevating Zaragoza and Aragón to the forefront of the mobility sector”, indicates Amado Franco, President of Fundación Ibercaja. 

    A space that is returned to the citizens

    For the last 5 years, the entity has carried out meticulous work both to recondition the space, always hand in hand with Zaha Hadid’s architecture studio, and in collaboration with the Government of Aragon, with the goal of creating content and a unique, distinguished place open to the general public and society. 

    With a covered area of ​​2,700 m2, Mobility City has 4 different spaces: 

    • The future of mobility: publicly accessible, it will show the progress and potential in terms of products and services of associated companies. An exhibition of innovative proposals will star in the next steps of mobility.
    • Temporary exhibition: with a surface area of ​​1,100m2, it is an area to represent the mobility of yesterday, today and tomorrow. The first exhibition shows the evolution of the automotive world, from the unique pieces its early days, to futuristic concept cars, without forgetting the offer of the current market.
    • Space Experiences: an entertainment area that will directly impact visitors’ emotion and awareness, it will house interactive activities aimed at transmitting messages of responsibility and respect for the environment through dynamics that measure the power of their decisions in the future of cities and the environment that surrounds them.
    • Multifunction space: a public access area aimed at carrying out activities and events of all kinds, both at a professional and popular level, from family workshops, idustry presentations, to awards or presentations by associates.

    “We want to make Mobility City a multidisciplinary space. A place of conversation, dissemination, challenges and tests. An entity that empowers the awakening of a real mobility transition, expressing interest and solutions that invite society to embrace change. For this reason, we are working to create a complete content offer that generates interest at all levels in order to permeate the roadmap and the commitment to build an evolved and environmentally responsible mobile environment”, indicates José Luis Rodrigo, Director General Fundación Ibercaja.

    Mobility City, a project to lead the mobility of the future

    The Mobility City initiative has the support and drive of more than 50 collaborating entities both related to mobility (automotive, telecommunications, energy, logistics, etc.), as well as local and state institutions (research institutes, associations and universities).

    “Mobility City will be the agent that drives the conversation about the mobility of the future. A space from where strategies and plans will be pushed for the sake of sustainable urban development, a space for coexistence and dialogue to show what the cities of the future will be like, and the movement of people through them” indicates Jaime Armengol, Coordinator of Mobility City. The venue is “aimed at both the general public, with an experiential content that will raise awareness of the impact of personal decisions on the future of our environment, and the professional public, promoting a meeting place for experts in the sector. In short, Mobility City is a space to inspire, identify, solve, design and build the needs of mobility that is respectful of the environment in a connected and safe way”, continues Armengol.

    Zaragoza and Aragón: the epicenter of new mobility

    The city of Zaragoza presents many reasons why it is destined to be the international mobility capital of the future, and which make it the perfect setting for a project like Mobility City:

    • Strategic geographical position: crossing point for the itineraries that cross the peninsula from north to south. In addition, its proximity to the border with France favors connections with the rest of Europe.
    • Industrial activity: companies in the automotive sector, smart cities or logistics, bet on the Aragonese territory as a base of operations.
    • Center of tourist interest:  the infrastructure of the 2008 Zaragoza International Exposition adds to the traditional axes of interest in Zaragoza. The quality of its current tourist offer provides an incomparable framework for the development of the Mobility City project.

    “Aragon has a privileged location, highlighting its strong commitment to logistics and the establishment of companies related to automobiles, rail and other means of transport. In Zaragoza, in addition, there is a wide presence of projects on smart cities and a growing involvement in the future of personal mobility. It is, therefore, the place where a large number of interactions between cities and companies come together at a national and international level that foster the perfect germ of the international success of Mobility City”, concludes José Luis Rodrigo, Director General of Fundación Ibercaja.

    Ibercaja Foundation

    Fundación Ibercaja is a private non-profit organization resulting from the transformation of the Caja de Ahorros y Monte de Piedad de Zaragoza, Aragón y Rioja (currently Ibercaja Banco), dedicated to the creation, implementation and promotion of social and cultural works to promote the development of people and companies generating actions to improve the territory. It is also committed to the sustainable mobility of the future, with Mobility City. Its values ​​and actions are aligned with the United Nations 2030 Agenda, disseminating the SDGs and developing actions for their implementation. At Fundación Ibercaja, innovation is promoted in programs and activities, responding to new needs within its field of action with four values ​​as fundamental pillars: commitment, transparency, professionalism and dynamism.

    About Mobility City

    Mobility City is an initiative of Fundación Ibercaja supported by the Government of Aragon with headquarters in the Zaha Hadid Bridge. The work that the renowned Iraqi architect in the city of Zaragoza houses the Mobility Museum, the first museum on international mobility. Its objective is to become the world epicenter in terms of avant-garde, technology demonstration and learning, for the promotion of sustainable mobility, its development and innovation.

    The Mobility City initiative began in June 2018, supported by partners from different sectors related to mobility, including automobile, telecommunications, energy and infrastructure companies, as well as regional and state institutions, research institutes, associations and universities.

  8. LEVA-EU member Dott secures contract to operate e-scooter service in Madrid

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    Source: Micromobilitybiz, A. Ballinger

    The micromobility fleet provider joins Tier and Lime in deploying a sizeable joint fleet of 6,000 vehicles throughout the city.

    Announced in late 2022, Madrid City Council launched its first tender for shared e-scooters in the city. It is now confirmed that the bid has been won by the providers Dott, Tier and Lime collectively. Initial contracts are for an operating time of 3 years, with the potential for extensions in increments of 6 months following the initial period.

    Dott already maintains a fleet of e-bikes in Madrid, which have been operating since March 2021, and provides micromobility services to many key European cities including London, Rome, Stockholm, Brussels and Paris. In Madrid, the brand will be introducing completely new e-scooters, featuring large (12”) wheels for stability, front, rear and indicator lights, and a phone holder.

    Maxim Romain, co-founder and COO of Dott, said: “The launch in Madrid marks a turning point for our service in Spain, and a major increase in the number of vehicles we operate there as we bring efficient, safe and environmentally friendly transport to the capital city. We will bring our experience of collaborating closely with city authorities across Europe to ensure that we offer a reliable service for our riders whilst respecting all other road users and pedestrians.” 

  9. Barcelona unveils fully electric bike-sharing service for 2023

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    Source: TheMayorEU, T.V. Iolov

    AMBici offers new sustainable mobility options to city residents and will integrate with the existing Bicing scheme.

    Last week, Barcelona’s public transit operator presented the infrastructure of the upcoming AMBici bike-sharing service, which will cover the entire territory of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB). The scheme will launch early in 2023 in the municipalities of Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Joan Despí and Cornellà de Llobregat, expanding further over the subsequent 3 months. Once fully operational, AMBici will provide 2,600 electric bicycles and 236 stations to residents of the metropolis.

    Regarding the integration of AMBici with Barcelona Municipality’s existing Bicing service, transfer stations for the two services will be created in areas bordering Barcelona with the municipal terms of Sant Adrià de Besòs, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat and Esplugues de Llobregat, and a metropolitan pass, with discounts for users of both services.

    The AMBici service will offer 100% electric bicycles of the latest generation – the e-SMARTbike 2.0 model, that provides agile and safe commuting. The bicycle boasts features such as a low centre of gravity, ‘starter boost’ function, and automatic assistance levels.

    In 2023, AMBici will apply a promotional rate of €25 per year per pass, which will allow 30 minutes of free use for each journey. After the free 30 minutes, it will cost 0.50 euros per half hour.

    From 2024, the subscription will cost 40 euros a year, with the first 30 minutes at a price of 15 cents. After the initial 30 minutes, it will cost 0.50 euros per half hour.

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