JCDecaux, the company in charge of the bike-sharing scheme made the decision whilst it went to work fixing the issues with the batteries. As of Monday, the Vel'OH! bikes are no longer free of charge as the issues have been resolved. An annual subscription costs €18.
Luxembourg City municipal councillor Patrick Goldschmidt confirmed that last week, the city authorities verified that the issues had been resolved. He also confirmed that since the bicycles were all fitted with electric motors, the number of users had skyrocketed. However, it is too soon to know what the impact of the change is.
Goldschmidt revealed that JCDecaux will face penalties, as they have a contract with the municipal authorities which guarantees that the bicycles will work without issue. Currently, the company's lawyer is in discussions with lawyers representing the municipal authorities.
Video in Luxembourgish.
