Sydney proposes cutting shared bikes by over 40% to 7,000, with just two operators

The City of Sydney Council plans to sharply cut the number of shared bikes in the city, from about 12,000 now to a cap of 7,000 — a 42% reduction — and to reduce the number of operators from three to two, in a bid to cut footpath clutter and improve safety for pedestrians. The plan is expected to take effect from March 2027, with councillors to vote on it in December.

Three operators down to two; council to vote in December

Three companies currently serve the area: HelloRide, Lime and Ario. The council proposes a cap of 7,000 bikes, to be provided by just two operators. Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the cap "strikes a balance between maintaining our public domain and ensuring the schemes are successful." Under the plan, operators will need approval from Transport for NSW and councils before deploying bikes in local government areas.

Nine years unregulated as dumped bikes frustrate pedestrians

Shared bikes are popular with Sydney commuters, who made almost 700,000 trips covering 1.5 million kilometres last month, and nearly 4 million trips in the City of Sydney area over the past year. But unused, damaged and vandalised bikes littering footpaths have become a persistent complaint. Councillor Adam Worling said the industry had been unregulated for nine years, until new NSW Government regulations came into effect in August, giving councils the power to set caps on operators and bike numbers.

Moore has been calling on the state government to regulate shared e-bikes since 2017. She said shared bikes were important but a reduction was necessary. The council has so far created almost 300 designated bike parking areas across the city, with more to come, and wants the state government to tighten the rules further so bikes must be parked in designated areas in a way that can be reasonably enforced.

The NSW Government proposed reforms to e-micromobility sharing schemes in February and passed laws in August giving councils regulatory powers. The council still has reservations about parts of the scheme, including the funding model: the state proposes a levy of $0.80 per trip on operators, of which councils would receive only $0.20, with the rest going to Transport for NSW, while councils bear the cost of installing parking areas and handling complaints and enforcement.

Source: City of Sydney; nine.com.au; Sydney Morning Herald, 9–10 November 2026.