Of the 2,000 bicycle taxis that operate in Barcelona, only 500 comply with the Ordinance on the circulation of pedestrians and vehicles , which requires these vehicles to be registered in the registry , have insurance and circulate through the areas established by the regulations .
Failure to comply with the regulation causes serious damage to the mobility of pedestrians , especially in areas with more tourism.
For this reason, controls have been intensified in places with the highest concentration of vehicles , such as the waterfront, Avenida de la Catedral or Paseo de Colom. From January to June, 6,525 complaints have been filed , most of which are for non-compliance with the requirements established in the ordinance (3,767) or for bad parking (2,758).
These measures are in addition to the restrictions that have already been implemented in Ciutat Vella , where cycle taxis are required to travel along two specific routes that border the district and prevent access to areas with more pedestrian traffic.
Expansion of the legal framework
Parallel to the sanctioning process, new regulations are being worked on to fill the legal void in which personal mobility vehicle (VMP) companies operate and to guarantee coexistence in public space .
Specifically, a technical instruction is being prepared with the General Directorate of Traffic to impose mandatory requirements in terms of safety , and the Generalitat of Catalonia will also be asked to regulate the economic activity of the sector to prevent the proliferation of these vehicles.
The ultimate goal of all measures is to reduce the number of pedicabs and cycles with more than two wheels for commercial use that circulate in the city , which distort the life of the neighborhood and do not contribute to a quality mobility model.