The Vel'oh! electric roll-out was delayed twice because of technical problems but on Tuesday, Luxembourg City mayor Lydie Polfer (DP) says they are finally coming.

Their installation will be carried out in phases starting this Thursday, while the first bikes will be operational from 30 November, the mayor said on Tuesday.

Operator JCDecaux, which has the licence until 2028, said that of the 70 stations in the city, Bertrange, Hesperange and Strassen, half will be equipped by the end of November and the remainder by mid-December.

The bikes were announced in January and initially expected to become operational for 1 July, a date that was postponed until 15 September.

According to Polfer, the delay was caused by a shortage of batteries.

Bike-sharing is one of a number of measures introduced to ease congestion and encourage sustainable transport methods in the capital.

The number of public-use bike programmes has exploded globally in recent years with China the world leader, followed by Italy and the US, according to Statista.