A total of 541 bike riders were injured in the city in 2018 – 73 more than in 2017 and up from 264 in 2011, according to figures released by Zurich’s traffic department on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the number of accidents involving e-bikes last year rose to 89, which is 24 more than a year earlier.

“Bicycle accidents and their consequences are an unsolved problem in Zurich,” said the traffic department in a statement.

Officials attributed the rising number of bicycle accidents to the increasing popularity of cycling in general and to the fact that current infrastructure was not designed for such a large number of bike riders.

But the department said “incorrect behaviour” and lack of vehicle control on the part of cyclists and other road users were part of the problem.

Zurich now plans to focus on improving safety for cyclists by identifying and redeveloping bicycle accident hot spots and by running targeted public awareness campaigns.

In a separate statement on Thursday, cantonal police in Zurich said there had been a total of 1,353 accidents involving bicycles or e-bikes across the whole canton of Zurich in 2018. This was up from 1,267 a year earlier.

Cantonal police said the warm, dry summer last summer was partly responsible for the rise in the number of these accidents.