Budapest’s public ‘Bubi’ bike service faces a winter shutdown

A cold surprise may await those who rely on Bubi bikes this winter: the current service contract expires on 23 December, and the launch of the new system is already delayed.

New contract still not signed

According to Telex, Budapest’s public bike-sharing system may disappear from the streets from December 23, as the contract with the current operators, Csepel Kerékpárgyártó Zrt. and Germany’s Nextbike, is set to expire, while the tender for the new “Bubi 3.0” system is progressing more slowly than planned.

The contract was originally expected to be signed by late August or early September, but this has not happened. The Budapest City Assembly’s most recent meeting also made no mention of the issue on its public agenda.

If no new agreement is signed by December 23, the city’s entire bike-sharing system will have to shut down temporarily. Although the BKK has begun talks about extending the current contract, relations between the parties are reportedly tense, so the outcome of these negotiations remains uncertain.

Bubi 3.0 delayed before launch

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony announced the third-generation Bubi system back in April 2024, originally scheduled for the first quarter of 2026. However, due to the ongoing delays in the procurement process, that timeline is now in doubt.

The new fleet is expected to be at least twice the size of the current one and include electric-assist bicycles for the first time. (We wrote more about the Bubi 3.0 developments and the upcoming e-bikes here.)

Riders already feeling the delay

Currently, tens of thousands of active users rely on the green bikes for daily transport. According to BKK data, even in winter 2023, there were several thousand rentals every day — the November average exceeded 7,000 trips, while on many days in December the daily total reached 5,000–6,000.

BKK’s latest traffic report shows that in September 2025 alone, over 332,000 trips were made with MOL Bubi bikes.

However, the uncertainty around the service is already noticeable: annual and semi-annual passes have been withdrawn, leaving only monthly passes available. BKK explained that current passes cannot be technically transferred to the new system — but for users, this clearly signals that the transition will take longer than expected.

• Elite aircraft from Budapest to the Far Eastern metropolis from 2026

MOL Bubi – Now an integral part of city life

As Budapest faces months without its green bikes, it’s worth remembering how deeply the system has become part of the city’s transport network. Launched in 2014 as a public mobility service operated by BKK, MOL Bubi today offers around 2,400 bicycles at more than 200 docking stations across the capital.

Through the app, users can easily rent a bike for short or daily rides — an affordable, fast, and environmentally friendly alternative to driving or public transport. Over the past decade, millions of trips have been recorded, and many Budapest residents use the system year-round, even during the colder months. A service shutdown, even for a few weeks, would therefore disrupt the everyday routines of thousands of commuters.

Cover Photo: MOL Bubi közbringa-szolgáltatás / Facebook