Barcelona will bid farewell to pedicabs

In fact, the measure will extend to the whole region of Catalonia as this type of transportation is deemed to be unsafe

On Wednesday, 3 August, the Barcelona City Council and Catalonian regional government (Generalitat) agreed in principle to impose a definitive ban on the operation of cycle rickshaws, also known as pedicabs. Bike taxis are mostly present in the city of Barcelona servicing the tourist sector there, however, the ban will apply to the whole territory of the region.

The reason behind the prohibition of those vehicles stems from the fact that they do not meet the basic characteristics to be considered taxis, despite having been around in Barcelona since 2003.

Part of Barcelona’s image rebranding as a tourist destination

As reported by the first deputy mayor of the Barcelona City Council, Jaume Collboni, in statements to the press at the end of the joint meeting of the consistory and the Generalitat to address this problem, a “specific” modification of what is known as the Taxi Law will allow the ban on pedicabs before the end of the year.

The authorities assured that the amendments which will see the prohibition of bicycle taxis will be implemented by the end of the year. Following that, operators that fail to comply with them can face fines of 6,000 euros.

For the first deputy mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, pedicabs “are not consistent with the tourist model of the city of Barcelona” since they are “a source of precariousness and insecurity” and require extra effort from the police and the Guàrdia Urbana.

Collboni also recalled that the problem of pedicabs “was spreading to other areas of the city” and that now, in addition to the Barceloneta and the Olympic Village they were able to find pedicabs operating in the Guell Park and around the Sagrada Familia basilica.

Jaume Collboni has assured that Barcelona City Council, with the help of the police and the Civil Guard, has been “containing” the expansion of pedicabs by demanding licenses from owners and confiscating vehicles.

In recent years, Barcelona has been on a quest to rein in unruly tourism in a way that preserves the authentic feel of the city for local residents. This latest move can be considered a part of that strategy.