Barcelona will not extend bike-sharing licenses despite pressure from companies

Seven bike-sharing companies are requesting two more years of licenses, but the Barcelona City Council maintains its refusal due to incivility and the occupation of public space. The authorisations expire on December 31.

The Barcelona City Council has closed the door on extending the licenses for private bike-sharing. The seven companies operating in the city, Bird, Bolt, Cooltra, Donkey Republic, Lime, RideMovi, and Voi, formally requested a two-year extension to continue providing the service, but the council maintains its refusal, according to municipal sources.

The current authorisations expire on December 31. In the absence of an agreement, the companies have sought support from opposition groups and this week have taken photos with them in Plaza de Sant Jaume to raise awareness of the conflict and turn it into a debate about the city's mobility model.

The operators accuse the municipal government of not wanting to engage in dialogue and assert the role of shared bicycles within sustainable mobility. The local executive, on the other hand, clings to the data on incivility and occupation of public space accumulated in recent months.

"The systematic non-compliance demonstrates a structural incapacity of the companies to control the proper use of public space," municipal sources from the Barcelona City Council state.

The Urban Guard and cleaning services have recorded record figures this summer. In July alone, 922 fines were imposed, the highest monthly figure since the sector was regulated in early 2025. In August, the municipal tow truck removed 340 bicycles for obstructing pedestrian passage.

Since January 2025, there have been 7,195 fines and 2,683 vehicles removed. With a private fleet of 3,500 bicycles, the figures equate to each bicycle being fined at least twice, and three out of four have ended up in the depot at some point.

The regulations require vehicles to be secured to the inverted "U" shaped anchors. The council considers that the non-compliance is systematic and demonstrates that the companies cannot guarantee control of public space.

The platforms, for their part, resist leaving Barcelona and argue sustainability. They claim that their 3,500 bicycles represent nearly 30% of the city's shared pedal offer, combined with nearly 8,000 units of the public Bicing, and highlight that in the last cycle they recorded over 3.2 million trips, with an estimated saving of 1,100 tonnes of CO₂.

According to the companies, more than 99% of trips are made without incidents and the fines are concentrated among a minimal percentage of users. Sector sources assert they are willing to strengthen control mechanisms and collaborate with the council to improve coexistence on the sidewalks.

The outcome directly affects the residents and users of Barcelona: if there is no extension, from January 1, bicycles from these seven brands will no longer be available on the streets. The city will maintain the public Bicing service, which will continue to operate normally.