Villanueva del Duque introduces public pricing for electric bike rentals

The Villanueva del Duque City Council has established the public price for the use of the municipal electric bicycle loan system, with rates ranging from 2.50 to 20 euros depending on the rental duration and the user’s status. The agreement was adopted by the Plenary of the Corporation in an ordinary session held on September 29, 2026, and is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Córdoba number 208, dated October 27, 2026, in section VI (Local Administration), with the official reference BOP-A-2026-3512. The regulation comes into force on the day of its publication and will be applicable from that date.

A fleet of five bikes at the Municipal Gym

The text is based on articles 41 to 47 and 127 of Royal Legislative Decree 2/2004, of March 5, which approves the revised text of the Law Regulating Local Treasuries, and develops the complete regime of the service: users, reservations, returns, obligations, and sanctions. The system includes the facilities of the Municipal Gym building, where the bicycles are kept, and the City Council plans in the medium term to enable its own facilities for their custody and loan. The available fleet consists of five units, all of which can be reserved at the same time.

The service operates year-round according to the Municipal Gym’s schedule: from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, extendable in summer (from June 1 to August 30). Reservations are managed through the VillaMarket application or the WhatsApp Business channel enabled by the Council, with pickup slots from 09:00 to 13:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00, Monday to Friday. Payment is made before picking up the bicycle, by card or bank transfer, and no cash deposit is required.

Rates by duration and user status

Article 4 establishes four price scales, with discounts for residency, age, and gym membership:

• Non-residents: half day €5.00; full day €10.00; full weekend €20.00.
• Residents or those with a current membership at the Municipal Gym (20% discount): €4.00, €8.00, and €15.00 respectively.
• Resident youth aged 18 to 35, with age accreditation via DNI or equivalent: €2.50, €5.00, and €10.00.
• Resident minors aged 14 to 17, special reduced rate to encourage local youth mobility: €2.50, €4.00, and €8.00.

A half day is considered the slot from 09:00 to 13:00 or from 17:00 to 21:00, and a full day is from 09:00 to 21:00. Children under 14 must be accompanied by a father, mother, or legal guardian, who will be the contract holder; those aged 14 to 17 may rent autonomously with signed authorization. The use of a helmet is mandatory and is provided by the Municipal Gym, and the bicycle may only circulate within the municipal boundaries.

Fines from 30 to 3,000 euros and temporary suspensions

The agreement classifies contrary behaviors as minor, serious, and very serious, with financial penalties and usage prohibitions:

• Minor (delay of up to one hour, not parking in safe zones, failing to communicate data changes): fine from 30.00 to 750.00 euros and a usage prohibition of up to three months.
• Serious (riding on sidewalks or landscaped areas, lending the bicycle to third parties, violating traffic regulations, returning it in poor condition): fine from 751.00 to 1,500.00 euros and up to six months of prohibition.
• Very serious (use for profit, severe damage, abandonment or loss, failing to report theft): fine from 1,501.00 to 3,000.00 euros and permanent prohibition from the service.

Specific penalties are added to the fines: two weeks without being able to make reservations if a reserved bicycle is not picked up, a three-year suspension for unjustified abandonment, and six years for failing to file a report in case of theft or loss. Failure to return the vehicle within the deadline requires payment of the vehicle’s replacement value after two requests. Debts may be claimed through the administrative enforcement procedure, and the sanctioning procedure will be processed in accordance with Law 39/2015 and Law 40/2015.

Closing

The agreement also empowers the Mayor’s Office —a position held by Miguel Granados Hinojosa, signatory of the announcement on October 15, 2026— to demand compensation for damages and to modify schedules or order of preference for reasons of general interest. With this regulation, the municipality completes the implementation of a shared electric mobility service that until now lacked a tariff and sanctioning framework, and links its cost to residency registration and age to incentivize use among neighbors and young people.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Córdoba, no. 208, October 27, 2026, section VI (Local Administration), page 15582 (official reference: BOP-A-2026-3512).