Still no successor for Brussels bike-share operator Villo

The Brussels government still has no public bike-sharing operator to replace the much-criticised Villo, and a public tender may not yield one for another two-and-a-half years.

The concession for Villo, operated by French advertising company JCDecaux, expires on 16 September, Bruzz reports.

The operator’s contract to provide the bikes in exchange for advertising panels for JCDecaux was criticised for being outdated, and users often describe the bikes as heavy and clunky.

With the expiry of the contract looming, the lack of a Brussels government for over a year meant that the public tender for a replacement operator was shelved.

Now that there is a new government in place, mobility minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) has been given the mandate to draw up a tender dossier for a new and more modern public bicycle system.

“Ideally, these will be fully electric bicycles,” Van den Brandt said, adding that she has a personal preference for integrating a new operator within the Stib network as a fourth mode of transport, alongside the metro, tram and bus. The MR party, however, has always advocated for a private operator.

The tender process takes several months, and a further period is also required for the installation of the new stations and bicycles.

“We’re not talking about a project that can be completed between now and September,” said Van den Brandt.

“It will be more like 30 months. We will try to shorten that transition period and move as quickly as possible.”

A transition period of 30 months would mean waiting until autumn 2028 for new public e-bikes.

To ensure continuity, Van den Brandt will negotiate with JCDecaux regarding an extension of the current Villo concession until a new system is ready.

“I’m very aware of the imperfections of the Villo bikes, but this will allow us to bridge the transition period. There is a willingness on both sides to address the gap,” the mobility minister said.

In the case of no deal being reached, Villo will cease operations immediately on 17 September and JCDecaux will then have seven months to dismantle the bike parking stations and advertising panels.

While Brussels MP Joëlle Maison (Défi) proposed exploring subsidies for the use of private bike-sharing schemes during that potential scenario, Van den Brandt said this would likely be “legally difficult”.