Ghent’s shared bike use doubles in two years
Shared bike use in Ghent has almost doubled in two years, reaching more than 1.15 million trips in 2025.
The use of shared bikes in POLIS member Ghent is continuing to grow rapidly. Between 2023 and 2025, the number of shared-bike trips increased from 591,442 to 1,151,478, according to figures reported by the City of Ghent. The city currently has three main operators: Donkey Republic, Dott, and Bolt, alongside Blue-bike services at several locations.
The city has also set a target of doubling the number of shared bike trips by 2030. To support this growth, it is looking at how shared bikes can be made more widely available across the city's 25 neighbourhoods.
The current regulatory framework does not set specific requirements for how operators should distribute their fleets across the city. This is expected to change with the next concession period. The current permits expire in 2027, and Ghent plans to include requirements in the 2027–2032 concession to ensure that sufficient shared bikes are available across neighbourhoods and at locations such as business parks and park-and-rides. The new regulation is expected to be presented to the municipal council in October 2026.
The city is also expanding the infrastructure needed to support shared bikes. Shared bikes must be parked in or next to designated bicycle parking facilities, and Ghent is reviewing the need for additional facilities across the city. Work has already taken place in Mariakerke and Wondelgem, with Sint-Amandsberg and Oostakker next, followed by Gentbrugge, Zwijnaarde, Sint-Denijs-Westrem, and Drongen.
