Public cycle users have only limited insurance

PALMA City Council has not taken out full insurance for users of the public bicycle system “Bicipalma” municipal sources said yesterday.
Although there is cover if an accident occurs due to the malfunctioning of the bicycle, riders are not protected if they knock down a pedestrian. They will reportedly have to pay damages out of their own pockets.

This is not the case in other cities of Spain which already have their own public cycle systems such as Barcelona and Seville. In these cities, there is full insurance for users.

Joan Antoni Llauger, a co-ordinator in the City Council's Transport department said that a number of quotations and offers are currently being studied to enable the Council to extend the insurance cover.

He confirmed that at the moment, people using the service will only be able to make a claim as a result of the poor condition of the bicycle itself or if some sort of injury is received at the cycle anchor points.

Julio Martinez, spokesman on the City Council for the opposition Partido Popular, said yesterday that it has been “irresponsible” of Mayoress Aina Calvo to let the public use a cycle system that is not properly insured. “People think there is no risk attached to the use of Bicipalma,” he said. He also asked why the management of the cycles hadn't been handed over to the municipal parking company “SMAP” as planned, and why there apparently isn't any money allocated to pay them.