Bolt will be the third company to offer bike-sharing in Ghent. Four years ago, Donkey Republic started in the Artevelde City and has 500 city bikes on offer. Last year, Dott proposed 600 electric bikes and 45 cargo bikes. Bolt is joining the club, starting with another 400 electric bikes.

The Bolt bikes will be found in the city center and the suburbs. Potential users can find everything on the Bolt app, using the bikes for one single ride or subscribing for longer. It’s not a free-floating system; the shared bikes will always have to be returned to fixed bike locations all over the city.

Fast growing

Bike-sharing has become increasingly popular in Ghent lately. The Donkey Republic bikes are used between 20 000 and 25 000 times every month; those of Dott, introduced in the second half of 2022, already see a monthly use of 22 000 to 27 000 rides per month. Cumulated, this means that every day, 1 400 to 1 700 shared bike rides occur in Ghent.

“Bike sharing works in Ghent,” says Alderman for Mobility Filip Watteeuw. “The variety we can offer in Ghent is an added value. One can use a comfortable city bike for short distances or choose an e-bike for longer travels. Electric cargo bikes are becoming increasingly popular with people who want to transport their shopping goods or drive their kids to the nearest park area.”