Found an error?
Report now
Rental bikes are in vogue: however, providers such as Publibike are subsidized by the state. (symbolic image)
Picture: sda
Thousands use rental bikes every day - but without public funding, the system would hardly be sustainable. Cities like Bern and Zurich are investing millions. Are these investments in environmentally friendly mobility worthwhile?
If you are out and about in Bern, Zurich or Lausanne, you will see them everywhere: the typical Publibike bikes with their eye-catching frames. The rental bike has long since become part of the cityscape here too - and is extremely popular.
In order to promote sustainable mobility and reduce legally regulated greenhouse gas emissions, many Swiss cities are increasingly turning to bike rental systems.
There is just one problem: without state aid, the offer would hardly exist.
Publibike, once a subsidiary of Swiss Post and now independent, is one of the leading providers and benefits from contracts worth millions in major cities. "Without public funding, a bike rental system cannot cover its costs," CEO Markus Bacher stated unequivocally in the "Bund" at the beginning of the year.
In Bern, for example, the contract with Publibike is due to expire soon, but has been put out to tender again and, according to Blick, awarded to the company once more.
However, the conditions have changed: The city plans to invest a total of CHF 7.62 million in bike rental by 2033, or CHF 440,000 per year. In the past, the costs had to be covered by subscription sales and advertising alone - which hardly worked.
The new contract met with broad approval in Bern's city parliament. The majority of the population also supported it: In the vote in February 2025, 61% said yes to the planned investments. Only the SVP opposed an expansion of the offer.
Zurich also relies on rental bikes, also with Publibike. The city extended the "Velo Züri" project in 2023 and expects to spend around CHF 13 million over the next ten years.
Unlike in Bern, political resistance was greater: the loan was approved by 68 votes to 46 in the municipal council - a referendum was not possible for this amount.
The city of Zurich is planning to expand its network: The service is to be expanded at a cost of 6.3 million francs. An additional CHF 500,000 per year is earmarked for supplementary services and a separate investment credit of CHF 1.3 million.
A look at the cities of Bern and Zurich also shows that the use of rental bikes has increased massively: 1.7 million trips were recorded in Bern in 2023, an increase of over 70 percent since 2019.
In Zurich, almost 900,000 journeys were counted in 2024. The market for bike sharing in Switzerland is growing continuously. And that's not all: SBB has also been involved since May, making it possible to unlock a Publibike directly with the Swisspass.
Nevertheless, the system will remain loss-making for the foreseeable future - and therefore dependent on taxpayers' money.
The question of whether this makes sense can be answered in different ways. Some see the rental bikes as a tool for the transport transition, a contribution to CO₂ reduction and a service for commuters and tourists. Critics, on the other hand, see an expensive service that is only used by a certain section of the population.
