The use of electric share bikes is booming in the Belgian and Flemish capital. This in contrast with the regional bike rental programme Villo!, which has seen a 40 percent drop in rides over the past six years.
The use of electric share bikes in Brussels is booming, reports Brussels media outlet Bruzz. In 2024, an average of 5,422 trips per day were recorded, an increase of 61 percent compared to 2023. The combined fleet of bikes, from brands including Lime, Bolt, VOI, and Dott, averaged 3,698 bikes last year.
However, Villo!, which still operates with fixed pick-up and drop-off points, has seen its popularity decline for years. The operator, which has been active in Brussels since 2009, recorded 2,565 trips per day last year, representing a 40 percent decline since 2018. Compared to 2023, the number of rentals also declined by 3.5 percent.
Impractical
This decline has been underway for some time. A study by the Brussels Mobility Agency previously showed that Villo! bikes are rented less than once a day on average, significantly less than in other European cities like Paris, Antwerp and Lyons. The reasons are well known: the bikes are heavy and impractical, because users have to remove and charge the built-in battery themselves, and the distance between stations is large.
There is also a big difference in terms of parking options. Villo! has 344 fixed stations, while other fleet share bikes can be left at 2,082 active drop-off zones, where scooters are also allowed.
Scooters
Scooters also remain very popular and are by far the most popular means of shared transport, with an average of 24,789 trips per day and 13,528 available scooters in Brussels in 2024. However, since February 2024 usage has declined slightly due to stricter regulations, which legally limit the supply to two operators and the total number of vehicles available to 8,000 scooters.