Expansion of the Dublin bikes scheme will be delayed until the summer as Dublin City Council says negotiations and planning have yet to be finalised.
The delay comes as users of the popular on-street bicycle rental scheme have pedalled close to five million journeys in less than 3½ years.
Discussions between the council and the system’s operator, JCDecaux, had been expected to be completed before the new year, but the council said it will be spring before final agreement is reached.
“Negotiations with JCDecaux regarding the expansion of the bike scheme are ongoing and are expected to be completed in early spring. Work is at the final stages of the detailed design of the expanded bike scheme,” said a spokesman for the council.
The first phase of expansion is to include the Docklands and the area around Heuston Station. The number of bicycles is set to increase from 550 to about 1,500.
Andrew Montague, a city councillor and head of the council’s transport committee, said construction work should start on new stations by the summer.
“There is a delay in the implementation of the expansion, but detailed discussion is taking place on the locations of the stations. Work is likely to commence in the summer,” said Mr Montague.
The company to date was funded in a bikes-for-advertising deal with advert firm JCDecaux. The company got the use of on-street advertising space for 15 years in return for providing and maintaining the bicycles, as well as a new network of tourist signs and maps for city centre streets.