Urban transport based on shared bicycle use

Barcelona has been working for years on achieving a safe and efficient means of transport with less impact on the environment while enabling city residents to travel about more easily and more freely.

So Bicing was launched in 2007: a practical, easy-to-use, sustainable service for short, everyday journeys round the city. An ideal complement to traditional public transport that also meets smart mobility criteria.

The first thing you need to do to use the service is sign up on the website: www.bicing.cat. Once you have received your card (which is sent to your home) you will find all the information you need for activating it, after which you can start to ride any of the 6,000 bikes that Bicing puts at your disposal.

When you reach one of the Bicing 420 stations spread round the city, all you need to do is swipe the card reader with your card and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen. The system will give you an anchor point number from where you will be able to take a bike, use it for your journey and later leave it at the Bicing station closest to your destination. Don't forget to check you have returned the bike correctly, by swiping your card against the reader once again.

Bicing is meant to be a means of transport for moving round the city. So the first thirty minutes are included in the subscription fee. After that, you pay for the time you use it, with a maximum period of two hours for each journey.

You also have the BicingApp at your disposal now. This is a simple app that gives you access to real-time user information such as bicycle availability and stations. Thanks to Barcelona Contactless technology, you can download the app by merely scanning the QR code or drawing your mobile close to the NFC chips placed in every station.