Agreement on a new model for kiosks in the city

Following months of joint work between the City Council and this sector, the range of products and services which kiosks can offer citizens is to be broadened. The goal of the agreement is to protect kiosk owners given the crisis facing printed media, the consequences of the pandemic and the global crisis, improving their business possibilities.

02/07/2022 08:47 h

Ajuntament de Barcelona

The change to the model for kiosks has been agreed on by the City Council’s Directorate for Heritage and the Professional Association of Press Sellers for Barcelona and the Province, the Journalists’ Association of Catalonia and the La Rambla Kiosks Association.

Besides meetings with representatives from these bodies, the process took account of the needs and proposals of kiosk owners and made a technical analysis of the feasibility of their requests.

A new model to diversify business for kiosks

The proposals adopted are organised into two packages, according to the administrative procedure required for them.

Some measures require changes to the specific clauses regulating the concession of the private use and public domain of kiosks in public streets, in force for the period from 2013 to 2030.

To date, kiosk owners could sell newspapers, magazines, and in general, regular publications and books in 80% of their space. The other 20% could be used for the sale of other products such as lotteries, souvenirs, gifts, transport tickets, events tickets, recharging for mobile phones etc.

The new agreement maintains the sale of press materials as the main activity, with at least 51% of space devoted to it, but allows kiosks to sell products which were previously unauthorised, such as coffee or take-away food. It also adds a new publicity side to modules so that owners can increase advertising revenue.

Work will also be done with social services to include kiosks in the monitoring network for the Vincles programme, which strengthens social relationships for elderly people who feel lonely and improves their well-being.

Other improvements which have been agreed on with the sector do not entail changes to the specific clauses in regulations, for instance acting as a pick-up booth for final-mile package deliveries, having automatic cash machines, acting as a base for the installation of 5G antennas, selling tickets for shows or recharging electric batteries.

In this second package, kiosk owners will be tasked with managing these services in line with a framework agreement established by the Professional Association of Press Sellers for Barcelona and the Province, with the City Council to validate.

Work will be done in the coming months to bring the changes into effect and make the agreement a reality for kiosks as from next year.

Barcelona currently has 322 kiosks in all, 259 of which are awarded for commercial use. There are 53 vacant kiosks, 31 of which are to be removed as part of urban transformations. Finally, the use of 10 kiosks was granted to the Municipal Institute for People with Disabilities (IMPD). These are put to commercial use through a cooperative.

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