Nextbike’s rental bicycles are now barred from being offered on public street land in Berlin, as ruled by the Higher Administrative Court Berlin‑Brandenburg. This decision reaffirms the earlier judgment of the Administrative Court Berlin, which had refused the applicant’s urgent application.
The applicant, which operates a free‑floating public bike‑sharing system in Berlin, did not apply for a special‑use permit after its contract with the state of Berlin lapsed.
In July 2025 the Senate administration ordered the applicant to stop commercial offering of bikes in public street space and to remove its 6,500 rental bicycles. The Higher Administrative Court noted that the large number of bikes represented an exceptionally intensive use of public street land, significantly impairing the common use by other road users.
Moreover, the bicycles were frequently parked or lying in ways that obstructed pedestrian sidewalks, highlighting the regulatory need of the applicant’s business model. The court declared its ruling “unappealable” (OVG 6 S 114/25).