The planned expansion of the Dublinbikes scheme to the suburbs cannot proceed because of lack of funding, according to Dublin City Council.

It was intended that the scheme, sponsored by Coca-Cola Zero, would eventually extend to Whitehall on the northside and to Clonskeagh on the southside and involve a total of 5,000 bikes and 300 stations by the end of last year.

The last expansion, which extended the scheme to the Docklands and to Heuston Station in 2013, increased the number of stations to 101 and trebled the number of bikes to 1,500.

A report to councillors states this was achieved by funding from the National Transport Authority, sponsorship by Coca-Cola and doubling of subscription fees to €20 a year.

Dublin bikes still costs the City Council nearly €2m a year, according to the report by executive planner Michael Rossiter of the Council's Planning Department.

In his report to the Council's Transport Committee, Mr Rossiter stated "there is no definite time frame for the delivery of further phases beyond the current scheme at present".

"Further planned expansion phases are dependent on the identification of sustainable long-term funding".

He said funding options being investigated include subscription fee and rental-fee increases, advertising and more funding from central government.

The scheme started with an arrangement with outdoor advertisers JCDecaux in 2009 with 40 stations and 450 bikes in the central and southeast areas of the city centre.

Abandoned bicycles to be targeted

Meanwhile the Council is proposing a scheme to remove abandoned private bicycles in the city.

A separate report to councillors states there are at least 80 abandoned bikes in various states of repair.

It is proposed that any bicycle recorded as abandoned for more than three months will have a tag placed on them for two weeks and if they are not claimed they will be removed and either donated to charity, recycled or dumped.