Brussels was once one of the first European cities where shared e-scooters took off in a big way. At its peak – much to the chagrin of those who envied it –there were more than 20,000 e-scooters available for anyone to grab throughout the city.

But now the fun is over, and so is that micromobility fairy tale, though some would prefer to call it a nightmare. Following a ruling by the Council of State, Brussels Mobility has decided that the various Brussels operators must remove their shared e-scooters and bicycles from public spaces by September 1 – a transition period of barely a month.

The void left by the disappearance of shared e-scooters and bicycles in Brussels is significant: in 2025, shared e-scooters and bicycles accounted for 14.5 million trips and 1.3 million active user accounts.

In violation of the law and unlawful

Brussels Mobility’s decision is separate from another, earlier decision. In June, the new Brussels government, led by Bors Dilliès, decided to ban shared e-scooters in the Brussels-Capital Region effective January 1, 2027.

It was, to say the least, a questionable decision, made under the pretext of different safety concerns, especially when viewed against the backdrop of the stricter regulatory framework developed in collaboration with the operators.

A good six weeks later, those same operators are once again facing a serious setback. On Wednesday, July 29, the Council of State annulled the permits granted to Bolt, Dott, and Von for shared e-scooters and shared e-bikes in Brussels.

This was in response to a complaint filed by the American platform Lime, which was left out of the running in 2023 when the Region decided to limit the number of operators.

The Council of State ruled, among other things, that the law requiring explicit justification for administrative acts had been violated. Furthermore, they are based on a call for candidates, which in turn is based on a 2023 decision “several provisions of which are themselves unlawful.”

The Region requested that the current permits remain in effect, but that request was denied.

Consultation meeting with operators

The Council of State also declined to rule on future measures. Nor does the ruling affect the Villo! service, which provides bicycles at fixed stations. The current concession, operated by JC Decaux, expires in September.

The Brussels government has already decided to extend it until September 2028. This will allow Brussels residents to continue relying on a bike-sharing service while awaiting a new system, which will also feature fixed stations.

In mid-August, Brussels Mobility is now organizing a consultation meeting with Bolt, Dott, Voi, and Lime to review the ruling and explore possible next steps. There is a chance of a new, temporary, or revised regulation before September 1, but it is not certain.

Brussels Mobility has also sent an official letter to the operators concerned, asking them to remove the vehicles covered by the revoked permits from the streets.

Due to the summer season, the Region is implementing a ‘transition period’ to allow operators to organize the withdrawal of their fleets by September 1, 2026, at the latest.

For the operators, this is certainly a major financial blow. They must recall their entire fleet in the short term, which, according to the providers, entails high costs (and jobs lost…). As a result, new lawsuits cannot be ruled out.

Petition

The question, therefore, remains as to what many commuters and (young) Brussels residents who use shared e-scooters and bikes almost every day will have to do starting September 1 to cover, for example, the last few kilometers to their workplace.

No doubt shared e-scooters and bikes are popular. According to Way To Go, a Belgian network that promotes shared mobility, shared e-bikes and e-scooters in Brussels accounted for a combined total of 14.5 million trips and 1.3 million active user accounts in 2025.

That year, Brussels had 10,738 shared bikes and 7,221 shared e-scooters, giving it the highest usage per capita in Belgium.

And there are indeed Villo! bike-sharing bikes, but that system is outdated, and anyone who wants to use an electric assist must first rent a personal, portable battery in addition to a monthly subscription.

Way To Go, for example, believes that the consequences of a problem with the permitting process should not be passed on to people who rely on these modes of transportation every day, especially for the first or last kilometer or in the evening when public transportation is insufficient.

Dott is calling on users to sign a petition on Democratie. Brussels; if 1,000 signatures are collected, the Brussels Parliament must address the issue. As of today, the count stood at 1,047.