Ecobici operator fined for failing to maintain its bike fleet in the capital

The institution successful complaint of operating Mexico City’s public bicycle web — Ecobici —  has been fined owed to a reported deficiency of attraction of the bicycles, Mayor Clara Brugada announced astatine a March 25 property conference. 

In caller months, Ecobici users person reported issues with the metropolis bikes, including breached seats, escaped chains, level tires and breached brakes and pedals, arsenic good arsenic faults successful the app. Some users posted photographs and videos of the breached instrumentality connected societal media. 

Despite a increasing fig of complaints astir the faulty conditions of the bikes, Mexico City’s Ecobici programme remains popular. (Tomás Acosta/Cuartoscuro.com)

Many besides criticized the organisation of docking spaces and a shortage of bicycles owed to the mediocre balancing of units during unreserved hour. 

“We volition soon denote however Ecobici volition beryllium expanded successful the metropolis and however we volition amended the service,” Brugada said during the property conference. “Calls are already being made to the institution liable for Ecobici truthful that each national complaints are addressed immediately.”

Brugada besides said that the institution successful question had received a fine. 

A consortium of the companies 5M2 and BKT Bici-pública has operated Mexico City’s Ecobici bikeshare web since 2022.

The caller problems person prompted galore users to reconsider their membership, according to the quality tract La Silla Rota. 

In announcing plans to amended Ecobici done an enlargement program, the politician did not connection immoderate details connected however this would beryllium achieved. 

A subordinate of the PAN governmental party, Daniel Chimal García, successful summation to urging the companies managing Ecobici to compensate users who had experienced work problems, criticized Brugada’s enlargement plans. 

“Despite mechanical issues, out-of-service units and a shortage of bicycles disposable astatine stations, this is however Clara Brugada’s medication wants to widen this system, which has not been functional successful caller months,” Chimal García said during a March 31 league successful Congress. 

Chimal García has been vocal successful the past astir the request to make much motorcycle lanes, reenforce signage and amended the information of nationalist spaces. 

Do Ecobici bikes person regular maintenance?

Mexico City’s Ecobici web does person regular maintenance. In 2024, the city’s Mobility Ministry said that implicit 300 units a time are serviced astatine a mega-workshop successful the Miguel Hidalgo municipality and suggested that the deterioration of the bikes was owed to their “constant and intensive” use. 

11 de 26 bicicletas en la estación de @ecobici nary sirven. @ecobici cada vez, peor. pic.twitter.com/aJIeJ7HKt6

— Bicireportera CDMX (@BicireporteraDF) March 18, 2025

This means that betwixt 2,100 and 2,450 Ecobici bicycles are repaired each week, equivalent to betwixt 23% and 26% of the 9,300 bicycles presently successful service.

However, Ecobici employees person acknowledged that the caller achromatic bicycles “last less” than the erstwhile reddish bikes, which they replaced successful 2022, according to La Silla Rota. 

Growing numbers of Ecobici users 

Despite respective challenges, the Ecobici web continues to grow. In 2024, Ecobici recorded implicit 22 cardinal trips, marking an 83% summation connected the erstwhile twelvemonth and a fourfold emergence connected 2022. 

In the archetypal 3 months of 2025, much trips were taken connected Ecobici than successful the full of 2022, showing however the strategy has grown successful popularity. This is apt owing to the enlargement of the web and improvements to Mexico City’s motorcycle lanes. 

With reports from Chilango, La Silla Rota and Talla Política