Amsterdam brought cycling into the computer age by providing the city, famed for its bicycles, with the cycling equivalent of a one guilder (50 cents) taxi service.

The council has distributed 250 white bikes to five depots across the Dutch capital, to be picked up and dropped off by those too weary to walk or too jaded to sit in traffic.

By using a chip card and keying in a number, cyclists identify themselves and the one guilder charge is automatically deducted from their account.

"This is public transport tailored to the individual. It is environmentally friendly, small scale, convenient and always available," a council statement said.