Bixi asks Montreal for $2.9 million per year to keep the bike-sharing program running

Bixi has asked the city of Montreal to provide $2.9 million to keep the city’s bike-sharing program up and running for the next five years.

In January Bixi filed for bankruptcy protection, at the time it was owned by Public Bike System Co -the company had $47 million of debt. Since April the organization’s operations in Montreal have been controlled by the government.

The not-for-profit organization held a conference on Sunday to talk about the results of its 2014. The number of active members this year dropped by 7 percent to 33,216.

Bixi attributed the drop in subscriptions with technical problems that its electronic payment system has experienced. It didn’t hesitate to note that Bixi Montreal has reported an overall better rider experience, with the number of complaints down compared to 2013.

The Bixi board of directors created a five-year business plan which it says will help lift it back up if it is granted $2.9-million from the city of Montreal each year through 2019.

According to board president Marie Elaine Farley:

“Building on the 2014 season and the exploitation of similar systems elsewhere in the world, we recommended to the city directions that will give Bixi Montreal a solid foundation on which to build the future,”