Three years after its first vehicles arrived in Brussels, car-sharing service Miles has confirmed it will be leaving Belgium. It cited increased vandalism and misuse of its cars as the main reason.
The introduction of the independent car-sharing company Miles to Brussels in October 2022 was welcomed, providing an alternative mobility solution. Belgium was the first foreign market for the new mobility as a service (MaaS) provider, which was already available in eight German cities, including Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. As well as Brussels, there were vehicles in Ghent and Antwerp.
The company charged users based on kilometres driven, not by the duration of the ride – a system embraced by drivers in cities where traffic jams are commonplace. Users could also book cars by the hour and by the day.
However, in January 2025, the company announced that it was reviewing its entire Belgian business with the aim of fundamentally reorganising it. On Monday, it confirmed it is ending its car sharing activities in Belgium. The company intends to shift its focus to the German market.
"Despite a positive trend in figures in Belgium, operations have been increasingly affected by vandalism, misuse of vehicles and attempted theft, particularly in the Brussels region, over the past two years," a company statement read. "These external factors had a significant negative impact on the company's financial results."
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It will withdraw from the market in the coming weeks, meaning the approximately 1,400 black Miles vehicles will gradually start disappearing from Belgium's streetscape.
"We are disappointed about this development and would have liked to have found another solution," the company concluded.
