At the end of January this year, the mayor of San José, Johnny Araya, announced that they were working on a joint project with Radiographic Costarricense SA (Racsa) to install a bicycle rental system in the capital.
The plan of the mayor’s office, also commented in 2018, was intended to make available to the public a total of 400 rental bicycles – at different points – that could be used in the existing cycle path in the city center.
It’s been 10 months since then. What happened to the proposal? Daniel Jaikel, Deputy Manager of Provision of Services of the Municipality of San José, explained that they have already received applications from 13 companies interested in the plan, which have the deadline for submitting an informed proposal on October 31st.
But first, the Municipal Council must grant a permit for use of public space.
The idea is that there are 40 stations for rent, every 400 meters, located east-west along the cycle path.
The cycle lane in the capital was officially inaugurated in February 2018. The entire route extends for 15 kilometers between La Sabana and San Pedro de Montes de Oca.
In recent days, the private service for renting electric bicycles called OMNi began operating. The service is available in San José, Montes de Oca, Curridabat, Barrio Escalante, Santa Ana and Escazú, with approximately one thousand electric bicycles. The company’s plan is that by December that amount has already reached five thousand.
How does it work? The rent is for unlimited time and the user is charged per minute. The payment method will be through a bank card that will have to be included in the application, cash recharging points will also be enabled.
The bicycles are electric-pedal assisted. Users can adjust the height of the seat, have a support for the cell phone, cup holders, a screen that shows the percentage of battery, distance and speed and feed on their own battery whose duration can reach 5 hours with full charge.
It is important to emphasize that the system that began to work this week in the capital is a private initiative and this can only operate within this area, so that bicycles that are impeding free traffic on sidewalks, boulevards and public roads They will be removed. The Municipality of San José encourages the use of alternative and environmentally friendly transport methods, whether these are public or private initiatives,”
said the municipality.