As drivers withstand kilometer-long lines of traffic to fill up at gas stations, more Tapatios have resorted to using public bicycles to avoid the mayhem.
Over 600 people signed up for MiBici Pública accounts during the first ten days of the shortage, 259 more than last year’s rate around the same period.
“Public bicycles are a means of transportation,” said Mario Silva Rodriguez of the Metropolitan Planning Institute, who noticed the upsurge of use between January 1 and 10. “The strategy that we will have to follow is to strengthen the system because, independent of the gasoline shortage situation, MiBici is demonstrating that it’s a nurturing system from a public perspective.”
Subscriptions will likely continue to skyrocket with no end to the undersupply of gasoline in sight. While the federal government discerns how to detain or even prosecute gas thieves, approximately 108,803 MiBici bike journeys were made throughout the first ten days of January compared to 68,408 in 2018.
MiBici launched in November 2014 and has since created a network of 274 stations with 2,446 bicycles available throughout 100 hectares of Guadalajara, Zapopan and Tlaquepaque.
This past December, the state government added 38 stations and expanded 24 due to increasing demand.
A total of 10,396 people subscribed in 2018, equating to 7,356,522 trips, according to local news sources. Despite its growth, MiBici’s 72-million-peso budget for 2019 is 28 million less than the previous year. Annual fees also increased from 387 to 404 pesos.