Free Testing Begins of Renewed Bubi Bike Sharing System in Budapest
- 22 Jun 2026 10:17 AM
The Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) and its partners are testing the new Bubi bike share scheme from Friday, Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony announced. The new scheme is being launched with 3,300 bicycles, including 800 electric bikes, the mayor said.
"The Bubi 2.0 was a real success story for the city: the number of users tripled to over 300,000, and the number of rides grew tenfold to 14m," Karacsony said. The bicycle fleet will now be doubled to at least 5,000, he added.
In July, those with a valid pass in the BudapestGO application can try out the new bikes free of charge.
For expats in Budapest, the relaunch of the Bubi system reflects a continued shift toward more flexible, mixed-mode urban transport, where cycling plays a supporting role alongside traditional public options.
The addition of e-bikes is likely to change how and where the system is used, making longer or more demanding routes easier for everyday travel. This is particularly relevant in parts of Buda where distance and elevation have previously made cycling less of a practical commuting choice for instance.
Its integration with the wider transport network further strengthens its role as a connector between main public transport lines and final destinations. For many residents, this is where bike-sharing becomes most valuable - not always as a full journey solution, but as an extension that can reduces public transport wait times and transfers.
The current trial period gives users a chance to see how the system performs in practice, especially at busy times when availability and turnaround matter most. For expats new to Budapest, it also provides a straightforward way to experiment with cycling as part of a daily routine without immediate long-term commitment.
As the rollout continues, attention will likely turn to how smoothly the system handles demand across different districts and how it can fit into everyday travel patterns as usage scales up.
The new service will become fully available to the public from the second half of July.
Photo: Pixabay
MTI Stock Photo
Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.
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