Hasselt (Brussels Morning Newspaper): Hoppy launched 200 electric bikes in Hasselt in April 2023, charging 1 euro plus 25 cents per minute. Representative Hélène De Meester noted high prices led to only 300 rides monthly, resulting in Hoppy’s exit after the city refused to support them.
Hoppy, a bike-sharing service, launched 200 electric bicycles in Hasselt in April last year. Users have to pay an initial fee of 1 euro and then 25 cents for each minute they ride. Hélène De Meester, a representative from Hoppy, said the prices are higher because the city of Hasselt did not provide any financial support. Without subsidies, they need to maintain higher prices to cover their costs.
Why did Hoppy’s Bike service fail in Hasselt despite launching 200 electric bikes?
According to De Meester, the high prices stopped some people from using Hoppy’s bikes, resulting in fewer rides than expected. Without financial help from the city to lower costs and prices for riders, Hoppy struggled to attract the number of users they wanted in Hasselt.
In Hasselt, Hoppy saw only about 300 bike rides each month with around 100 users, much lower than in areas like Denderstreek and the Flemish Ardennes that receive city subsidies. Hoppy asked the city for financial help to lower prices and improve their services, but the council refused, leading to the end of Hoppy’s operations in Hasselt. Alderman Marc Schepers noted that they can’t change the rules after the contract started. Meanwhile, in Genk, Hoppy continues with 50 electric bikes, which the city supports. Since May, those bikes have been used 1,124 times, and De Meester hopes the lower prices will lead to success like in other regions.
