Paris: The Paris region plans to launch a large fleet of electric bicycles in a state-funded scheme aimed at getting commuters to cycle to work and reducing congestion and pollution.

Paris has invested heavily in encouraging cycle commuting. Credit:AP

From September 2019, regional transport agency Ile-de-France Mobilités (IDFM) will provide up to 10,000 e-bikes for long-term rental, with a view to expanding the scheme to 20,000, which would make it the world's largest e-bike rental programme.

The aim of the 'Veligo' service is to encourage bicycle commuting, which at the moment accounts for only 1.6 per cent of daily trips in the Ile-de-France area, which includes Paris.

Veligo will be run by a joint venture including the postal service and transport firm Transdev under a six-year contract. It will have a budget of up €111 million ($175 million).