In its latest move to address the impact of tourism on the city, the Barcelona City Council has decided to ban private bike-sharing programs, such as Lime, Bird, Bolt and Voi.
The Council says it will continue to expand the oft-criticized city-operated bike-sharing program, Bicing, which is only available for residents. But the private bike services are a “mess” that are doing more harm than good, Mayor Jaume Collboni said at a recent press conference.
Data shows that 90% of rentals on the “dockless” private programs are by tourists, the city says. And confused bike-renting tourists are apparently careening around the city, causing accidents and cluttering the sidewalks and parking areas with discarded bikes, city officials say.
