The mayors of Pozuelo and Madrid, Paloma Tejero and José Luis Martínez-Almeida, inaugurated the shared electric bike service in the town on Tuesday. This is the first expansion of Bicimad outside the capital.
Pozuelo de Alarcón has taken a significant step towards sustainable mobility with the launch of Bicimad, the shared electric bike service that previously only operated in Madrid. The town thus becomes the first municipality in the Community of Madrid to host this system, which starts with 30 stations and a fleet of 370 bicycles distributed throughout the municipality.
A launch event with both mayors
The mayor of Pozuelo, Paloma Tejero, and the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, presided over the inauguration event at one of the stations located in the city centre. The event was also attended by Pozuelo's first deputy mayor, Miriam Picazo, and the councillor for Mobility, Carmen Salas, as well as Borja Caravante, the delegate for Urbanism, Environment and Mobility in Madrid, and Alfonso Sánchez, the managing director of the Municipal Transport Company (EMT).
“Today is a historic day for mobility in Pozuelo. This service not only facilitates travel within the municipality but also improves connections with Madrid in a fast, convenient, and environmentally friendly way,” Tejero noted during the presentation.
Martínez-Almeida, for his part, highlighted that the expansion of Bicimad to Pozuelo is “the first step of a network that we want to reach more municipalities in the metropolitan area.” The Madrid mayor emphasized that collaboration between both administrations has been key to getting the project off the ground in record time.
30 stations and 370 bikes to start
The Bicimad network in Pozuelo comprises 30 stations strategically distributed throughout the municipality, covering residential, commercial, and leisure areas. The bikes, all electric, allow users to cover medium distances effortlessly and have sufficient autonomy for urban trips. Users can pick up a bike at any station in Pozuelo and drop it off at another, as well as connect with the stations in Madrid, as the system is integrated.
The service operates with the same Bicimad app already used by residents of Madrid. Residents of Pozuelo and visitors will need to register on the app, where they can check bike availability in real-time, make payments, and unlock the bikes. The rates are the same as in Madrid: €0.50 for the first 30 minutes and €0.06 for each additional minute, with monthly and annual subscriptions available.
“It’s very simple: you register, locate the nearest bike, scan the QR code, and you’re pedalling. And the best part is that you can leave it at any station in Pozuelo or Madrid,” explains Carmen Salas, Pozuelo's councillor for Mobility.
A boost for sustainable mobility
The arrival of Bicimad in Pozuelo represents a significant advance in the municipality's mobility strategy, which already has a network of bike lanes and aims to reduce the use of private cars. According to data from the City Council, 40% of trips made within Pozuelo are less than 5 kilometres, an ideal distance to cover by bike.
The service also aims to improve connections with Madrid, especially with the western neighbourhoods of the capital. From Pozuelo, users will be able to access the Bicimad stations in Moncloa-Aravaca and continue their journey to central Madrid without needing to use a car or conventional public transport.
For residents, the news has been received with enthusiasm. “Finally, we can use Bicimad without having to go to Madrid. It’s a great option for commuting or taking a stroll,” comments Laura García, a resident of the La Finca neighbourhood. However, the implementation has raised some concerns about the location of the stations and bike availability during peak hours, aspects that the City Council assures will be adjusted according to demand.
First metropolitan expansion
Pozuelo is the first municipality in the Community of Madrid to join the Bicimad network, a system that originated in the capital in 2014 and currently has more than 600 stations and 7,500 bikes in the city. The expansion to Pozuelo is part of the EMT's plan to extend the service to other municipalities in the metropolitan area, aiming to create a shared and sustainable mobility network that connects the main urban centres of the region.
The Pozuelo City Council has financed part of the installation of the stations, while the EMT is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the system. The total cost of the project has not been disclosed, but municipal sources describe it as an “affordable investment” within the mobility budget.
In the coming months, the service is expected to consolidate and the number of stations will be expanded if demand requires it. For now, residents can already enjoy a real alternative to the car, with the added advantage that, being electric, the bikes help tackle the municipality's hills effortlessly.
The service operates from 6:00 AM to 1:30 AM, every day of the year. Users can check the station map and availability in real-time through the official Bicimad app.
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