A court ruling on the rental bike market leader Nextbike in Berlin brings the issue of rental bikes and e-scooters on the streets into focus. The Berlin Higher Administrative Court has ruled in favor of the German capital's plan to impose charges on the Leipzig-based sharing provider. The court also justified this by stating that parked bikes or bikes lying around have become an increasing hindrance to other road users. Is the rental bike principle now facing a similar threat in other cities in the east?
How do cities differentiate between e-scooters and rental bikes?
Most municipalities clearly treat e-scooters as special use requiring a permit and impose conditions such as fees, zones, maximum numbers and detailed operator obligations. Rental bikes are usually classified differently where they are connected to local public transport.
According to the company, Nextbike bikes are available in around 150 German cities - mostly through contracts with the public sector. "We operate either directly on behalf of the city council or the public transport company and are therefore exempt from the special use requirement," a spokesperson told the German Press Agency. This is the case in Leipzig, for example, where Nextbike operates the system on its own, but the bikes in the "LeipzigMOVE" app are closely integrated into the public transport service.
In Dresden, Nextbike organizes the "MOBIbike" for the city's public transport operators and is exempt from charges. In both cities, public transport users receive discounts when using the rental bikes. In Berlin, this is now set to change for Nextbike following the expiry of the contract with the city. This is where Nextbike's criticism comes in: From the company's point of view, bikes should be classified differently to e-scooters, for example. The classic bike has a "far greater social benefit".
