Londoners will be able to pick up and drop off one of 6,000 bikes at 400 locations across the capital, Boris Johnson announced today, as he invited companies to register their interest in setting up his cycle-hire scheme.

But the mayor's plan will require the "political buy-in" of all London boroughs, according to a Transport for London study released today.

The mayor has yet to receive the green light from all nine London boroughs and several royal parks in London's central "zone one" area that would host the bikes' so-called docking stations, theguardian.com has learned.

The scheme was one of Johnson's manifesto promises and is inspired by the successful Vélib' programme in Paris.

It is expected that an initial 6,000 bikes would prompt around 40,000 extra daily cycle trips in central London by 2010.

The bikes will be kept at docking stations and the design is expected to deter thieves. Renters will have to pay a deposit when they take the bicycles and there is expected to be an annual fee for registration.

Johnson said: "I have long held the view that a cyclised city is a civilised city, but if we are to get more Londoners on to two wheels rather than four we need to provide the facilities to help them do so.

"I hope a central-London cycle-hire scheme will inspire Londoners as a whole, and not just the adventurous few, to get on their bikes and give cycling a go. I believe that the work we are carrying out can make the capital a city of cyclists, where to use two wheels is common, not curious."

JC Decaux, the French company that has set up cycle-hire schemes in 15 cities around the world and is responsible for Paris's system, told theguardian.com that it was interested "in principle" in bidding for the project.

A feasibility study by Transport for London, which approved the scheme as an achievable objective, states that the stations will need to be located at 300m intervals, equivalent to eight stations for every square kilometre.

The report notes that land availability for the stations in premium areas of London "is one of the main issues facing successful implementation. Space is at a premium around popular destinations."

The report goes on to say: "Political buy-in from major landowners and authorities in central London would be essential for implementation, including TfL and the relevant London boroughs."

The cycle hire scheme will be based in the London boroughs of Camden, Hackney, Lambeth, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Westminster, as well as the City of London. People will also be able to rent bicycles from several royal parks in central London.

Tfl said not all boroughs had signed up to date.

"Not all boroughs have given it an absolute green light because they first have to make sure their stakeholders and residents are content. But there is a huge amount of political good will for bike hire," she said.

London Councils approved the cycling scheme in principle at a recent transport and environment committee. But a spokesman for the cross-party umbrella body for London boroughs was also unable to confirm that all boroughs had signed up to the scheme, an objective he conceded was "vital" for the scheme to go ahead in full.

"We have had discussions with the mayor's office. We will be working with the mayor to make it a success," the spokesman said.

The mayor's office said partnership working with the boroughs and private landowners, together with TfL, "will be crucial to the success of a scheme".

A spokesman said: "Several boroughs worked with TfL to produce the feasibility study and they are speaking to all of the boroughs and royal parks covered by the scheme to determine what land would be available for docking stations.

"The mayor has experienced a tremendous enthusiasm from Londoners for the cycle-hire scheme and he is confident that, alongside the support of the boroughs, it can transform London in the way that these schemes have done in other cities."

Johnson, a keen cycling enthusiast, is determined to encourage more Londoners to get out of their cars.

London has already seen a dramatic rise in the number of people cycling, with a 91% increase on London's major roads since 2000.

It is estimated that there are now approximately half a million cycle journeys a day across London.

Kulveer Ranger, the mayor's director of transport policy, said the mayor wanted to boost cycling fourfold by 2025.

He said: "The release of the feasibility study and the call for companies to tender to provide a cycle-hire scheme are further steps towards providing the most sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly transport system ever seen in the capital. We are working incredibly hard to ensure London will be in a position to hit the target of a 400% increase in cycle journeys in London by 2025."

Johnson also wants to create 12 major cycle routes into central London and to convert part of the Victoria Embankment into a cycle lane.

The bike-hire scheme was originally suggested by Johnson's predecessor, Ken Livingstone, who promised to effect a "walking and cycling transformation" across London, but the cycling policy was quickly adopted by the new mayor.