Bosses at the bike share firm, Nextbike, said excitement is building ahead of the arrival of 50 e-bikes in Penarth this spring, with the public already having their say on where they would like the stations installed.

Announced in October 2019, the high-profile scheme will act as a link for commuters who travel to and from Cardiff, with six docking stations set to be located in key parts of the town.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council received numerous requests from the public to introduce its own scheme following the success of the Nextbike cycle hire scheme in Cardiff, which has received more than 600,000 rentals since it launched in 2018.

Nextbike and the Vale of Glamorgan Council are currently working closely with Cardiff Council to link the two schemes, meaning commuters will be able to use the e-bikes to make the journey between the town and the city with ease.

After receiving over 40 requests for stations, the council and Nextbike worked together to survey the locations for feasibility. The short list of potential locations for e-bike stations includes Penarth Town Centre, Cogan Train Centre, Penarth Train Station, Llandough Hospital, The Esplanade, Cosmeston Country Park, Cardiff Bay Barrage, and Pont-y-Werin Bridge.

The scheme hopes to encourage people to switch from their daily car journey to e-bikes, saving on average 249g of CO2 for every 1 kilometre travelled.

The average round trip from Penarth to Cardiff is 12km, which would save 2,988g of CO2 if used daily.

Nextbike Managing Director, Krysia Solheim, said the Penarth scheme would be great for those who commute into the capital.

“We know from our research that a lot of commuters already cycle from Penarth into Cardiff,” said Ms Solheim.

“E-bikes will make that journey easier and quicker than ever before, which will hopefully persuade more people to switch from four wheels to two on a daily basis. Picking up an e-bike instead of jumping in the car is also a great way for people to reduce their own personal carbon footprints to help our communities tackle climate change.

“Penarth will play an important part in leading the bike share revolution in Wales - it’s an exciting time - and we want the community to be as involved as possible."

Councillor Peter King, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services and Transport, said: “Feedback from the Nextbike consultation was overwhelmingly positive, with many residents hoping to see the expansion of the scheme to the wider Vale.

“Having declared a climate emergency last year, and having recently proposed a £1.25m investment into tackling environmental issues, the Nextbike scheme will be a leading example of our commitment to tackling climate change and improving the wellbeing of our residents. We hope this will inspire the launch of similar schemes in future.”

The Nextbike project is being funded by Section 106 sustainable transport contributions.