A CODE of conduct for bike hire companies which want to set up in Oxford has been provisionally drawn up by authorities.

At least six companies have approached Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council to set up here, including some from the UK and others from abroad.

Chinese dockless bike company Ofo has already said it has plans to plant its yellow bikes along Oxford’s streets after setting up in Cambridge.

No council can refuse to have the bikes in its town or city because they do not require any planning consent.

But bosses hope the code of conduct will ensure bikes are well maintained, safe and that employees of each company are paid at least the Oxford Living Wage of £8.93 an hour.

If companies agree to these minimum standards, they would be officially endorsed by the councils.

Oxford City Council’s cycling champion, councillor Louise Upton, said: “There are lots of positives about this. The more people who can get bikes the better.

“Some people might try it when they haven’t before and they might go onto buy a bike which would be good for our bike shops.

“We need to make it work for Oxford but we have taken a proactive step telling them what we expect of them.

“This is completely free for us. With the code of conduct we have started with the county council, the university, I feel we have done more than any other city in terms of actually engaging with the companies.”

The council will ask companies to start with a small number of bikes to a maximum of about 100 and then encourage them to expand if things go well, she said.

The code would seek to prevent any trouble with firms. Last week Wandsworth Council in London confiscated 130 oBikes after some were said to be blocking pavements outside Clapham Junction tube station.

The company has confirmed it is interested in setting up in Oxford in the future.

An oBike spokesman said: “We’re keen to speak with any councils that are interested in working together to achieve a shared vision of healthier, greener cities. Our ultimate aim is to transform cycling across the UK as an alternative and viable mode of transport with station-less bike hire.”

Typically the bikes are free to use and are dropped off by riders in a place and a time of their choosing without needing to be docked, like London’s Santander Cycles scheme.