France: Paris wants green wheels

As of the 15th of July, Parisians are likely to become bicycle mad thanks to their Mayor?s latest green scheme. A ?vèlorution? is in fact planned that will make 10, 648 bikes available in more that 1,000 rent stations across the capital.

The scheme, financed by advertising King JC Decaux, aims to be sustainable while maintaining accessible prices for all, in fact if you hand the bike in before your first 30 minutes are up the service is free.

To rent the bike all you have to do is follow the instructions provided at every bike-station in French, English, German and Chinese and you are given a card that, when swiped over a small locking pod, releases the bike. Stations are open 24 hours and expectations are that every bike will be used 10 to 14 times a day, meaning about 200,000 rides a day.

The bikes are armed with a lock for short breaks, a bell, adjustable seats indestructible tires, a handy basket and three gear shifts.

It is not the first time that a metropolitan area attempts a similar biking venture, cities such as Amsterdam and Lyon both have mixed feelings about the outcomes, so why should Paris succeed where others have failed? Paris officials highlight that it is the first time that a world capital attempts to adopt such a large venture and claim that it is the size of the initiative that guarantees it?s success.

It is, however, to wonder whether Paris is ready for the vèlorution that is threatening to override the city with incautious and helmet-less bikers fighting to hold their own on 19th century streets crowded with scooters and buses. Ann Marie Fouchet who runs the Geppetto Vèlo bike shop on Paris? Left Bank says that ?Parisians are not used to dealing with bikes on the roads? and that ?cars aren?t always courteous and the bikers are not always knowing how to deal with them?.

It remains to be seen whether this two wheeled feat will take off, but in the meantime ? Vive le vèlo!

• www.velorution.info