In brief
Addis Bike has grown from 20 to 100 bicycles since its August 2024 launch, recording 35,311 sign‑ups and 51,720 trips as of October 2026. The service, supported by new bike lanes and a national policy to promote non‑motorised transport, faces challenges such as low public awareness and insufficient docking infrastructure.
A spokesman for Addis Bike in Addis Ababa confirmed that the company’s fleet has quadrupled from 20 to 100 bicycles since the August 2024 launch, and that it has recorded more than 35,000 sign‑ups and 51,720 trips, according to a recent Xinhua report.
Yeabsera Yismashewa, chief technical officer of Addis Bike, said the growth coincides with the government’s expansion of dedicated bike lanes across the city, noting that many daily trips are short and riders are now increasingly choosing bicycles as an affordable alternative to taxis or buses.
"We have seen a growing number of people using the bike‑sharing service in the city," Yismashewa said to Xinhua, adding that the public’s awareness of and interest in using the service is surprisingly improving.
Other users echo the sentiment. Student Eyoas Girma explained to the outlet that mornings are often hard to get a taxi, so he prefers the bike‑sharing service because it is flexible and economical.
Yismashewa cited the service’s digital fleet management system, which uses GPS tracking and smart‑lock technology to monitor bike status and prevent misuse.
Challenges remain, the company said, including established travel habits, low public awareness, and insufficient parking and docking stations, which the service has yet to fully overcome.
Prices are capped at 95 Ethiopian birr for a 30‑minute ride, roughly 0.6 US dollars, with a per‑minute charge beyond that. The company hopes that continual engineering of the bike network will help overcome the growth hurdles as it expands to new routes and adds more bikes to the fleet.
