The mayor of Bogotá, Claudia Lopez; the District Secretary for Mobility, Felipe Ramírez; and Tembici’s Director of Government Affairs, María Villate, carried out the pilot test of the stations that will be part of the Bogota Shared Bicycle System. And they announced that, by the month of August, it is expected that half of the system will be in operation, that is, about 1,500 bicycles.
“By September, we hope to have the entire system in operation”, assured Mayor López.
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Regarding the system, López assured that it will be an environmentally sustainable system: “We are going to have 300 shared public bicycle stations powered by solar energy, we are going to have 3,300 public and shared bicycles in Bogotá, from Usaquén to the Center. This is the first 27 kilometer zone where we are going to start”.
The system will count 1,500 mechanical bicycles, 1,500 electric bicycles, 150 manocletos, 150 with drawers and 150 chairs to transport girls and boys, which facilitates care trips that are mostly made by women.
The president highlighted that the 150 manocletas make up the system as an inclusive component for the city: “Many people use the bike, but some of them have differential abilities or some disability condition, so we think of them because this is an inclusive system thought of the different conditions and abilities that citizens have.”.
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The Shared Bicycle System will have 300 stations in which both mechanical and electro-assisted bicycles can be located, and their size will depend on the demand of the area in which they are installed.
Each station will have smart ports for locking and unlocking of bicycles through an application, QR code or a card. Its design is intended to resist weather conditions, as well as to prevent vandalism.
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“The design of the bicycles is absolutely ergonomic, they are quite light and are designed so that users can use them easily.”, assured the director of Government Affairs of Tembici, a Brazilian company in charge of the system.
The pilot stations will be located in the 85th street square with 15th street and in the Viceroy Park, Technical tests and pedagogical, appropriation and socialization activities will be carried out in them with the citizens on a regular basis.
This system does not require investment by the city. The Brazilian company Tembici will have to pay the capital in kind for the use of public space, through the purchase, installation and maintenance of cycle parks, within a term of 7 years of operation.
This system will be second largest in Latin America, after the one implemented in Mexico City.
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The project will be located in the expanded center of the city, between the towns of Usaquén and La Candelaria, will allow easy connection with the Public Transportation System and will offer discounts of 20% on its fares for the lower-income population.
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