Malaga's bike rental service will be entirely public

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The city council intends to start implementing a public bike-sharing plan this year, under the coordination of the EMT municipal transport company

Chus Heredia

Wednesday, 22 April 2026, 16:38

Malaga is taking another step towards establishing its first public bike-sharing service, following the failure of the private system. The initiative has completed the public consultation phase, with no objections received. The final step is approval by the full local government to put the project out to tender.

While there are no specific deadlines, transport councillor Trinidad Hernández stated at Monday's urban planning committee meeting that the first bikes will be available for rent this year, thanks to a budget already allocated for this purpose.

Both PSOE councillor Pedro Quero and Con Málaga spokesperson Toni Morillas welcomed the measure and asked for greater precision in the deadlines, staffing levels, etc.

Hernández highlighted the importance of declaring this service public and said that it will operate under the coordination of the Malaga transport company (EMT), with the aim of making it another public transportation option, with rental points located near the main areas of demand. "The goal is to launch this year and have the service fully operational next year," she said.

The implementation report concludes that the service will be rolled out gradually over three years, starting in 2026. Malaga city council is committed to adding up to 1,000 electric bicycles and 100 stations to the service in three phases: 300 bikes and 30 stations in 2026-2027; 520 bicycles and 52 stations in 2028; and 180 bicycles and 52 stations in 2029.

The document also states that the city council will design and scale the network to accommodate a maximum of 2,000 bicycles and 200 stations in order to meet future demands and needs, following the first ten years.

In regards to the budget, an initial outlay will cover the acquisition and implementation of the resources to operate this electric bicycle scheme in conjunction with the service stations, including their installation, construction work and software and hardware, among other things.

According to the study, the budget for the start-up and operation of the service during the ten years amounts to 6,640,638.18 euros (with a multi-year cost between the years 2026, 2027 and 2028). The report foresees up to 2000 bicycles and 200 station points, which will potentially enter the service from 2029 onwards.

40

euros will be the monthly fee

The report establishes two subscription models: a monthly subscription for ten euros per month and an annual subscription for 40 euros per year. Regarding usage fees, the first 30 minutes will cost 35 cents for the monthly subscription and 30 cents for the annual subscription. From minute 31 to 60, the cost will be 70 cents for the monthly subscription and 60 for the annual subscription. After 60 minutes, the cost will be five euros per hour, applicable to both subscription nodels.

The stations, pending full confirmation, could be in the Centro, Este, Cruz del Humilladero, Carretera de Cádiz and Teatinos districts, taking into account population density and existing cycling infrastructure.

The studies have yielded an average annual demand ranging from 379 in the first year (2027) to 1,361 in the tenth year (2036) for monthly passes and 6,439 in the first year and 23,139 for annual passes. The report estimates first-year revenue of 261,350 euros.

Cost estimates over ten years, including cleaning, repairs and maintenance, spare parts, insurance, depreciation, etc., stand at 25,774,116 euros. Finally, the municipal contribution for the maintenance of this public service after ten years will amount to 11,482,858 euros (excluding government subsidies) or 10,452,826 (including).