Aberdeen City Council is preparing to relaunch its electric bike hire scheme after securing a new operator, 18 months after the previous programme collapsed amid widespread vandalism and financial challenges. The local authority has committed £200,000 over three years to support the return of rental eBikes to the Granite City, with a minimum fleet of 200 bikes expected to be operational by spring 2026.
Documents scheduled for consideration at the Finance and Resources Committee meeting which will be held on 5 November 2025 reveal that the council has completed a procurement exercise to identify a private partner for a public-private partnership model. The funding allocation will be drawn from the council’s bus lane enforcement surplus, a pot of money generated from motorists fined for illegally using bus lanes.
The move comes after months of work by council officers to explore viable options for relaunching the scheme following the abrupt withdrawal of the previous operator in early 2024.
Previous Scheme’s Troubled History
Aberdeen’s first electric bike hire scheme launched in November 2022 under Big Issue eBikes Ltd, a partnership between Norwegian mobility company ShareBike and The Big Issue in the UK. The initiative was designed not only to provide sustainable transport options but also to create employment opportunities for marginalised individuals.
At its peak, the scheme operated approximately 260 bikes across 66 GPS-ringfenced parking locations throughout the city. By November 2023, project coordinators reported that around 10,000 users were actively using the service, having collectively cycled nearly 160,000 kilometres.
However, the partnership proved short-lived. In February 2024, ShareBike informed Aberdeen City Council of its intention to withdraw from the contract, citing its decision to exit the UK market entirely. The company faced significant challenges including persistent vandalism and difficulties securing ongoing funding.
“Sharebike pulled out of the UK market due to problems attracting funding and as reported in the media, the bikes had suffered vandalism,” council decision documents confirmed.
Following ShareBike’s withdrawal, hundreds of the distinctive red and white bikes were spotted in what observers described as a “graveyard” outside an Altens industrial unit.
Vandalism: A Nationwide Challenge
Aberdeen’s experience reflects a wider problem facing bike-share schemes across the United Kingdom. Bristol’s Big Issue bikeshare scheme, also operated by ShareBike, was suspended in August 2023 after experiencing what the company described as “extensive and relentless levels of vandalism”. ShareBike reported having more bikes destroyed in Bristol in one week than across all its other global facilities combined.
Industry experts note that e-bikes face higher vandalism rates than e-scooters due to their more visible moving parts, while operating margins are also lower, making schemes more financially vulnerable to damage.
Growing Demand for Sustainable Transport
Despite the previous scheme’s difficulties, Aberdeen City Council has identified continued public interest in reinstating a bike hire service. Council documents note that since the scheme’s closure, “there has been a number of enquiries from members of the public as to its reinstatement, which demonstrates an appetite for such scheme in Aberdeen”.
The relaunch aligns with Aberdeen’s ambitious climate targets. The city aims to increase cycling as a main mode of travel by 5% by 2026 and reduce car miles by 5% during the same period. Aberdeen also has a target to become a net zero city by 2045.
Public-Private Partnership Model
The new scheme will operate under a public-private partnership structure, differing from the previous concession contract which required no direct financial contribution from the council. The September 2024 committee decision to pursue this model represented a strategic shift, with council officers determining that some level of public subsidy would be necessary to ensure scheme viability.
The three-year initial contract includes provisions for potential extension up to a total of five years. The procurement specifications called for a minimum starting fleet of 200 eBikes, with capacity to grow in line with demand.
Council funding will be sourced from Aberdeen’s bus lane enforcement surplus, which has generated nearly £5 million since 2014 for projects supporting the Local Transport Strategy, including active travel, public transport, and maintenance initiatives. In 2025, the council reported a bus lane enforcement surplus of £2.6 million and a Low Emission Zone surplus of £669,000.
Implementation Timeline
Following the procurement process which concluded in autumn 2025, with contract award anticipated in September 2025 and contract commencement in September-October 2025, the new scheme is expected to launch in spring 2026 after a mobilisation period of four to six months.
Regional Context
Aberdeen’s bike hire relaunch occurs within a broader Scottish context of growing interest in e-bikes as a transport solution. The Scottish Government has set ambitious goals to reach net zero by 2045, with transport remaining the largest contributor to Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The Nestrans Regional Transport Strategy, which covers Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, aims for a 50:50 mode split between car drivers and sustainable modes by 2040, with significantly reduced carbon emissions from transport. The strategy includes continued investment in segregated transport corridors and improvements to cycling infrastructure.
Neighbouring Aberdeenshire operates a separate community e-bike hire scheme along the Formartine & Buchan Way, funded by Aberdeenshire Council and LEADER programme support. That rural scheme provides 20 e-bikes with GPS trackers and docking points, demonstrating the potential for e-bikes in areas with varied terrain.
Looking Ahead
As Aberdeen prepares to welcome back rental e-bikes, the success of the new scheme will depend on several factors including effective vandalism prevention measures, robust operator management, and sustained public engagement. The council’s financial commitment signals confidence that lessons have been learned from the previous scheme’s challenges.
The spring 2026 launch will place Aberdeen among a growing number of UK cities offering e-bike hire schemes, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Liverpool, and Manchester. Whether the new partnership model proves more resilient than its predecessor will be closely watched by other councils considering similar sustainable transport initiatives
