The accumulation of bicycles in some stations and their scarcity in others has been a constant for Bicimad users in recent months. Extreme situations, such as the recent one at Príncipe Pío, highlight the lack of balance in the system, with a shortage of bikes within the M-30 ring road at the beginning and end of the day, and a tendency for bikes to concentrate in the southern area, near the Manzanares river.
To address this issue, the Madrid City Council, through the EMT (Municipal Transport Company), has initiated the tender process for the rental of 22 additional trucks. These vehicles will be used for the redistribution of public bikes and the collection of damaged ones. The tender describes "inefficiencies" in the current flexible rental system, operational since the summer of 2017.
According to the justification for the new contract, the flexible rental model, while advantageous in terms of availability, "does not allow for modifications to the vehicles, which limits their adaptation to the operational needs of the service." This has led to "inefficiencies in bike redistribution," as many vehicles cannot be equipped with specific platforms. The shift to a fixed-term rental will allow for the use of adapted vehicles from the outset, improving operational efficiency and reducing loading and unloading times.
The new contract, valued at nearly three million euros and valid until 2032, will standardize the fleet with a single type of vehicle equipped with a lifting platform, capable of collecting four to six bicycles, or more. This will ensure that any vehicle in the fleet can perform all service-related tasks.
The tender increases the number of available ECO trucks from 15 to 22. These must be adapted to the Bicimad system and be able to transport at least 15 bikes at a time, although the tender favors those that can store more bicycles.
The Bicimad system has recorded historic usage figures in recent weeks, surpassing last year's records thanks to the expansion of stations, the introduction of new bikes, and the robustness of the model adopted in 2023. This growth has been accompanied by a lack of availability in certain areas, a situation that these new truck rentals are expected to help alleviate.
