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Wednesday, 14 March 2007 |
The maire of Paris Bertrand Delanoë is storming ahead
with his green campaign, slowing down traffic,
reducing parking places…
As part of his effort to change people’s transport habits and
become more ecologically aware, the mayor has offered
JC Decaux a contract to supply the city with self-service bikes,
24 hours a day, seven days a week. A similar system, known as
Vélo’v successfully operates in Lyon.
From July, 14,100 robust and comfortable bikes will be
available in the capital, increasing to 20,600 by the end of the
year. The method is simple. All Parisians and tourists will have
to do is register in advance, borrow a bike at one location
point, and replace it at another, unlike the RATP’s, ‘Roue
Libre’ scheme, which rents bikes by the day, week or month.
Cycling is a cheap, quick and pleasant method of getting
around the congested city.
The Conseil de Paris debated the issue on February 12 and the
daily ‘Le Parisien’ reported that all the political parties
approve of the idea, but not the operating method. For
example, the Communists and the UDF are concerned about
the consequences of a sudden mass of cyclists, many
beginners, on the streets of Paris. Controversy exists over the
handling of the contract. Rival company Clear Channel is
legally contesting the dossier presented by JC Decaux. At the
meeting, the Right regretted that the project had been approved
before judgement on the case has been pronounced.
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