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The Barcelona metropolitan mayors at the presentation of AMBici, Source: Area Metropolitana de Barcelona
The metropolitan AMBici will not replace the Catalan capital’s Bicing scheme - instead, it will integrate with it
Yesterday, 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) - hence its name. The new service is set to launch at the beginning of next year and will be available in 15 municipalities of the Catalan metropolis.
AMBici will provide 2,600 electric bicycles and 236 stations to residents of the metropolis as a way of offering them better, more flexible and more sustainable mobility. The first municipalities to host the service will be Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Joan Despí and Cornellà de Llobregat. After them, during the following three months, the rest of the municipalities will join.
AMBici will have 100% electric bicycles of the latest generation. Specifically, the e-SMARTbike 2.0 model offers the option to manoeuvre in an agile and safe manner, while maintaining control of the bicycle, in an urban environment. Thanks to the position of the engine, when the user uses the bicycle, a low centre of gravity makes the body position more vertically, which ensures that the rider feels safe and improves his experience and manoeuvrability, especially in curves and complicated terrains.
In addition, since they are 100% electric, it will be easier to use the bikes in steep or high-altitude neighbourhoods, or for elderly people or people with mobility difficulties.
The e-SMARTbike 2.0 also has an integrated function, called "Starter Boost", which activates the full compatibility of the engine and accelerates faster in the first meters. This function is activated when the user experiences the first oscillations, after which a soft start occurs.
User assistance levels will be automatic and adjusted based on the pedalling rate, and the assistance will stop working when 25 km/h (the mandated speed limit) is reached, or when the rider brakes the bike.
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.
Regarding the integration of AMBici with Barcelona Municipality’s Bicing service, it is planned to create a bridge or transfer stations for the two services, located 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.
In this way, the AMBici metropolitan service pass will be reduced from 40 to 25 euros per year and the Bicing one, by 20% (€40 or €28, depending on the chosen Bicing rate). In other words, the metropolitan pass, to use the two services, will be between 53 and 65 euros per year.
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