Region Midtjylland has selected ten new villages for the third phase of its Delecyklen project. Each village can receive up to 50,000 kroner to set up local shared e-bike and e-cargo-bike schemes.
DR reports that the ten villages were named as the project moves into its third phase. The region announced the selection in a press release distributed on August 12, 2026. The stated aim is to test whether shared bikes make it easier for rural residents to reach buses, trains and the light rail.
According to Region Midtjylland, the schemes are meant to help residents in villages where the bus does not run all day. In some of the selected areas, there is no public transit stop nearby at all. Per Møller Jensen (S), chair of the Committee for Regional Development, said in the press release that investing in mobility also means investing in living local communities.
The local schemes must be developed and operated by the villages themselves. That includes decisions on bike type, placement, booking systems, day to day operation and maintenance. Region Midtjylland says it will follow the schemes for about 12 months, after which the villages keep the bikes and can continue on their own.
Vivi Altenburg (DD), deputy chair of the same committee, said in the press release that a bus connection should not decide whether people can get to work or take part in leisure activities. The region frames the project as a way to close gaps in rural transport access.
Results from the first two phases
In 2024 and 2025, 59 villages took part in the first two phases of Delecyklen. Region Midtjylland states that nearly 2,000 residents used the bikes and that roughly 135,000 kilometers were recorded. All 59 villages chose to continue their shared scheme after the trial period ended.
In a separate update published in 2025, the region said the first phase involved 26 villages and 31 e-bikes. All 26 villages took over the bikes themselves, and the region said the second phase would bring the total to 33 villages. That figure was also reported by The Copenhagen Post in March 2025.
Region Midtjylland’s own assessment of the earlier phases is the stated basis for expanding the project now. The region describes the two-year trial as evidence that shared electric bikes function in small communities. The full documentation is published on the region’s regional development site, ru.rm.dk.
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The support of up to 50,000 kroner per village covers the setup of each local scheme. Region Midtjylland has not published a further expansion beyond the third phase.
