Twenty-one municipalities that make up the Ljubljana Urban Region will set up a public e-bicycle rental system by putting up 94 new docking stations with 549 e-bicycles and 854 charging spots over the next four years.

Valued at €5.4 million, the system will be compatible with that in the capital and will enable faster and more comfortable cycling and, above all, coverage of longer distances, including to work.

The network will have a single information system and a simple system of payment, including with the Urbana public service payment card, and will be integrated with other forms of transportation, such as public passenger transport and P+R stops.

The agreement on the project was signed by the mayors of the 21 municipalities on 22 October in what the regional development agency sees as a step closer to establishing a comprehensive regional network with a public system that will enable easy rental, return and charging of e-bicycles.

The aim of the project is to encourage residents of the region to use e-bicycles more frequently on their daily commute, which could help reduce traffic jams in the direction of Ljubljana, which currently has 35 e-bicycle stations with 125 bikes.

Lilijana Madjar, director of the Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region, said the agreement is a key step forward in the development of sustainable mobility in the greater Ljubljana region.

This expands the e-bicycle rental system at the regional level so that more residents will be able to commute in an active way, she said, adding that the agency will also strive to reduce the volume of motor traffic in other ways.

Medvode Mayor Nejc Smole is happy with what has been done so far in linking the municipalities with e-bicycles, noting that four stations and ten e-bicycles, compatible with the Ljubljana system, have been available in Medvode since April.

The project will be implemented by transportation company Nomago. CEO Miha Tavčar says all municipalities that apply in the next four years will be offered the same terms and prices for stations and bikes.