Brussels Council of State Annuls Shared Bike and Scooter Licenses

The shared mobility sector in the Belgian capital has been thrown into disarray after the Council of State annulled the decisions authorizing current shared bicycle and scooter licenses.

Council of State Annuls 2023 Selection Process Over Legal Irregularities

The legal challenge targeted the framework established by the regional government in December 2023, which originally limited free-floating fleets and granted operating permits exclusively to Bolt, Dott, and Voi. According to the court’s findings, those licensing decisions violated the law of July 29, 1991 regarding the formal motivation of administrative acts and relied on a July 13, 2023 decree containing several illegal provisions.

Lime argued that the regional selection process had been rushed and lacked transparency. Following the ruling, company representatives maintained that the decision definitively concluded a legal battle lasting more than two years.

We are delighted with the decision rendered today, which confirms that the procedure followed by the Brussels-Capital Region to allocate licenses in 2023 was fundamentally illegal. Lime Network, corporate statement via BX1 and La Libre

The multinational called on the region to launch a new, transparent call for tenders that complies with legal standards and gives all operators an equal opportunity to compete for future operating licenses.

Operational Uncertainty for Bruxelles Mobilité and Ongoing Scooter Ban Timeline

Within administrative offices, the ruling triggered immediate internal reviews. Legal teams at Bruxelles Mobilité mobilized to examine the immediate operational consequences of the annulment while navigating a difficult political recess.

Industry insiders described the current administrative climate as an absolute vacuum. One source pointed directly to the confusion, noting, We are in a moment of void and legal uncertainty according to reporting from La Dernière Heure.

Despite the setback on licensing, regional authorities confirmed that the broader policy framework targeting shared micro-mobility remains active. In June, the government announced a total ban on shared electric scooters effective January 1, 2027, driven largely by concerns over rising accident rates. Legal experts and administrators noted that the recent high court decision does not overturn that upcoming ban.

While shared electric scooters face elimination at the start of the year, shared bicycle offerings parked within designated drop-zones will continue to operate under regional oversight. Furthermore, the long-standing Villo! bicycle-sharing system—relying on fixed docking stations and operated by JC Decaux—holds an extended concession running until September 2028.

Socio-Economic Impacts and Security Arguments Surrounding Shared Fleets

The regulatory tightening comes amid intense debate over how micro-mobility interacts with urban safety and public infrastructure. Government justifications for cracking down on shared fleets previously pointed to data connecting shared devices to criminal incidents, noting that such vehicles had been implicated in 25 criminal acts, including shootings, during the previous year.

Industry operators pushed back against those characterizations, arguing that shared fleets are among the most heavily monitored transit modes in the region due to mandatory 20 km/h speed limits, continuous GPS tracking, and strict user identification protocols.

Academic experts have also questioned the socio-economic assumptions underpinning regional mobility policies. Official studies from Bruxelles Mobilité historically characterized typical users as primarily educated, employed men aged 25 to 34.

The decision-makers see things from the angle of the problem, here accidents, but that does not cover the whole phenomenon. For example, the scooter may have a reassuring side for women traveling in the evening. Michel Hubert, professor emeritus in sociology of mobility at UCLouvain and ULB, via Moustique

Vandalism Costs and the Parliamentary Roadmap Ahead

Beyond courtroom battles and municipal bans, operators contend with significant material losses stemming from street-level crime.

As the regional parliament approaches its autumn session, lawmakers plan to introduce a new ordinance designed to firmly establish the legal basis for micro-mobility and formally solidify the coming January scooter prohibition. Whether additional judicial challenges emerge before that legislation takes effect remains the central question for transit administrators across the capital.