Monday, June 2
Bye bye, Nextbike: Last month for publicly funded bike sharing
June will be the final month for publicly funded bike sharing in Berlin, following the Senate’s decision not to renew the contract with the current provider, Nextbike. There are currently no plans to seek a new tender.
Although funding for the bike-sharing system was initially included in the city’s budget, Nextbike was surprised to find that the earmarked funds were omitted from the 2025 plan. The Leipzig-based company commented: “The German capital will therefore soon no longer have public urban bike sharing. This is an absolutely negative unique selling point in Europe.”
The Senate responded that the decision was due to the “difficult budget situation”.
So will Nextbike simply disappear from Berlin? That may depend on where you live. Without public funding, the company will be forced to concentrate its service on the parts of the city where it remains profitable. This means the service will be withdrawn entirely from some outlying districts, while areas such as Steglitz, Neukölln, Tempelhof, Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Pankow, and Reinickendorf will see a reduction in bike availability. Prices are also likely to rise.
As of now, Nextbike operates around 6,500 rental bikes in Berlin, available at approximately 2,900 stations both within and beyond the S-Bahn ring
