GIRA version 3.1.6 does not let you use the bike share service, asking those who already have a pass to join one.
EMEL, responsible for Lisbon's public bike sharing network, is asking all users not to update the GIRA application. At stake is "an anomaly in the new version of the app" which "makes it impossible to use the service"according to a warning that appears right when the application is opened on the cell phone.
The faulty version of the GIRA application is 3.1.6, which was made available in the digital stores (App Store and Play Store) in the last few days. Anyone upgrading from version 3.0.6 to this version 3.1.6 will no longer have access to the bike share service, and will be asked to join a pass even when they actually already have an active pass.
EMEL is trying to fix the problem, and should soon release a new update to the GIRA app that already blocks people from using the service. For now, if you have iPhone, go to the App Store settings and check that you have the automatic updates option disabled. In the case of Android, you should do the same in the Play Store.
In Apple's ecosystem, it is difficult to recover an earlier version of an application. In the Android world, it is easier. Simply download the .APK file from a secure source, such as this site. GIRA's app is the only gateway to Lisbon's bike-sharing network; in other cities, bike-sharing systems rely on redundancy solutions, such as the possibility to use the public transport card to unlock bikes. In Lisbon, if the app doesn't work, there is no way to ride.
