More bikes and docking stations for Villo!

An extra 150 Villo! bicycles are to be made available in Brussels this summer by provider JC Decaux.

The corporation’s plan is not to add more bike stations, but extra docking capacity at some of the busiest stations.

Currently, Villo! has a 5,000-strong fleet of bikes, spread across 354 stations in 19 Brussels municipalities.

Jérôme Blanchevoye, deputy director of JC Decaux Belgium, said 300 additional docking stations were planned: "They will be installed at stations that have a higher attendance."

These busier zones are in the process of being established and are not necessarily located in the city centre. About 20 bike stations in the capital are being considered for expansion.

However, before JC Decaux can put the plan into action it must be approved by the Brussels region and the concerned municipalities, most notably Schaerbeek. Only stations on pavements and pedestrian areas will be considered for expansion - meaning no car parking spaces will be lost as a result.

Since 2015, Villo! has attracted almost 110,000 subscriptions and registered approximately 1.5 million journeys.