"I've been going to work from Puerta de Toledo to the Picasso Tower for five years, and I had at least eight bikes every day. Now we talk about zero, a... Yesterday I took one that was loose, but it only lasted 200 meters. Most are downloaded."
The complaints and anger do not stop happening after the launch of the new BiciMad system, operational since this past March 7. Social networks bring together these days dozens of images of these vehicles overturned on sidewalks, lost in the middle of parks or, simply, of stations without any unit available.
"My frustration with BiciMad has already reached its limit. I can't go around playing the lottery every time I go somewhere. I'll buy one and pray that it won't be stolen. It is clear that in this city they want us to buy a car, "said Alejandro, after touring five bases without being able to take a unit. He added: "I used it every day, but it makes you suspicious when you start to be late for work."
Something similar lives Covadonga, veteran in this system of public bikes. He has been using it since 2015, having made it a mobility habit. But, he tells this newspaper, his day to day "has been completely altered." "The QR reader does not work for me, I do not see if a station has bikes available or not, there are failures in the anchors ... But above all, there is a tremendous lack of available units. That's why I have to take the Metro many days."
From the area of Mobility of the City Council, its delegate, Borja Carabante, said that "bikes that appear scattered in streets and parks are not available to other users since they are not near a base". That is why they have taken the decision to sanction users who do not properly park vehicles. First they will be sent a warning email, but the second email they receive will be to inform them that they will be charged for the service, currently free on journeys of up to 30 minutes. These infringers will also no longer be entitled to use the service free of charge.
"We must remember that it is necessary to park in the bases themselves and close the service, because the problem we are seeing is that those bicycles that appear scattered through the streets or parks are not available to the rest of the users," explained Carabante, trying to find the crux of the problem.
The continuous claims of the people of Madrid also tried to be extinguished by the spokeswoman of the City of Madrid, Inmaculada Sanz, who recalled that from the Consistory they already said "that incidents were going to occur" and found that "incidents are occurring", but that "we hope that they can be solved in the coming days or weeks".
The change of BiciMad system is involving a renewal of the fleet, which will have 7,500 new bikes and 611 stations – expanding, finally, to all districts of the capital including Barajas, Hortaleza or Villaverde – and that until July 31 will be completely free.
Some users are even asking to stop this free period because if people paid, they think, the problem would end. "The deterioration it has suffered in this time [since it was established] is hard to believe; There are no bikes, and the ones there are are damaged. If the BiciMad payment is not restored, it will disappear," Alejandro said on Twitter.
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- Articles Daniel Somolinos