City rejects bids by bicycle rental vendors

The city of Cuenca has rejected bids from five European companies for more than 200 bicycles to be used in the city’s bike rental program.

The city said that all requirements were not met in the bids, including one to provide personal and property insurance and another to arrange for advertising the rental program.

Dario Tapia, Cuenca’s Transportation director, said that bidding would be reopened.

The city has built 20.9 kilometers of bicycle paths since 2011 and plans to build 15 more in 2014. During that period, Tapia says, bicycle ridership in Cuenca has increased from 1% to 3% of the population. “We intend to keep growing the number of riders and the rental program is a major part of this plan,” he said.