Faro already has a shared bicycle network to promote sustainable mobility and the use of this means of transport. Scattered around the city and throughout Montenegro and Gambelas, there are 75 bicycles (15 electric and 60 conventional) ready to be used.
The public launch of this bicycle network took place in the early afternoon of this Wednesday, June 1st, next to Arco da Vila, in Faro: one of the locations is installed in one of the created parking areas.
Anyone who wants to use the bikes must download the company's application mobismart, available at App Store ou Google Play Store.
Unlocking costs 99 cents, which is then added to use. If it's an e-bike, residents of Faro pay 1,30 euros for 30 minutes and visitors 2 euros/30 minutes.
If it is a conventional bicycle, residents of Faro pay 30 cents (30 minutes) and visitors 45 cents, for the same period of time.
Anyone who wants, can also buy a monthly ticket, with unlimited uses for 30 days, for 14,99 euros, or a daily ticket for 6,99.
Payment can be made by “PayPal”, direct debit or credit card.
One of the particularities of this project is that, if the bicycles are not parked within the network of “hotspots” created, the user will continue to pay.
The goal is to prevent bicycles from being scattered around the city – just like scooters.
To Rogério Bacalhau, president of the Chamber of Faro, this project follows the path of the commitment to sustainable mobility that has been made, namely with the creation of cycle paths.
«We made some investment in bike paths, in Praia de Faro, on Avenida Calouste Gulbenkian, on Estrada do Moinho da Palmeira, but it is necessary to realize that inside the city it is difficult because the streets are narrow», the mayor told journalists.
“We will have to live with the movement of cars in the city. That's why we are making zones 20 and 30 so that car mobility is slow”, he added.
In the mayor's opinion, the people of Faro today have "more desire to ride a bicycle".
«Eight years ago there were few people: today, just go to Praia de Faro and we see a lot of people riding a bicycle, you can feel that for some time now and I think this investment can encourage the use of this type of mobility», he considered.
The pilot project will run for a year and a half, costing around 200 euros. After these 18 months, the municipality will assess how the experience went.
«We want to evaluate the adhesion to then make a new contest», he concluded.
Photos: Pedro Lemos | Sul Informação
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