Vélib'

Vélib ' is a Taken on 15 July 2007 in Paris in operating public bicycle rental system. The term Vélib ' is a word that is derived from the words bicycle ( vélo ) and freedom ( liberté ) composed. The system now comprises more than 20,000 bikes at 1202 stations in Paris and some surrounding towns and communities in the French capital and is operated under a license issued by the city government concession of JCDecaux.

• 5.1 Uniform distribution in the urban area
• 5.2 vandalism

History

To start the system in the summer of 2007 were around 7,500 bikes at 750 stations in the metropolitan area of ​​Paris. Since 2009, the system was extended to 29 neighboring communities around Paris. Thus, outside the Paris city limits again around 4500 bikes added to 300 stations. Along with the consistent expansion of the stations in Paris itself available to the users today over 20,000 bicycles at 1202 stations. The gray Vélib ' bikes are so now firmly part of the cityscape and are not to be overlooked. Although the Vélib ' system was not the first of its kind and based primarily on the positive experience of 2005, also developed by JCDecaux Vélo'v in Lyon, the Vélib' system has made the modern Fahrradleihsysteme known worldwide and the Paris Mayor and mentor of the Vélib ' system Bertrand Delanoë a considerable media attention bestowed.

Utilization

Within the first year after the start of the system, a total of just over 200,000 users have secured an annual subscription. According to city and operators, the number of subscribers is currently stable at around 160,000 (as of March 2011). In total, that is, also including the daily and weekly tickets until mid-September 2010 over 85 million journeys have been completed with the Vélib ' bicycles. According to the city administration, 76% of users have an annual subscription, about 20% of Vélib ' users are younger than 26

In early June 2011, the threshold of 100 million trips has been exceeded; alone in the first quarter of 2011 there were 5.5 million. On average about 110 000 Loan to be made ​​daily.

Operation

Registration and Rates

Before use of bicycles initially a subscription must be taken out. In this case, (available directly at each station, and since July 2011, online) and a duration card ( online / sending by post ) can be chosen between a short-term subscription. Short-term subscriptions are for 24 hours (1.70 euros ) or for 7 days (8 Euro). The price for an annual subscription Vélib ' Classique is 29 euros and offers the convenience of being able to rent bikes with the help of an RFID chip card. With the introduction of a new tariff system end of April 2011 is also an annual subscription Vélib ' Passion for 39 euro available to the user is not as usual can cycle 30, but 45 minutes free. Under 26 year olds and scholarship holders receive discounts.

In any case, a deposit of 150 Euro deposit ( by credit card or check), which will be debited in the event of non- return within 24 hours from the account. At the stations, only credit cards are accepted that have an EMV chip. Conventional credit cards that have only magnetic stripe will not be accepted. Since July 2011, short-term subscriptions are also available online, so even tourists without a credit card can use the system with chip.

In addition to the subscription, the user must pay for the effective use of a time-based amount, but the first half hour is free in any case. Then the next half hour costs 1 euro and 2 euros over the next half hour and each additional half hour (with the same wheel ) costs 4 euro. As in other cities with similar public Fahrradleihsystemen also should end within half an hour and the bike will be released back into a station, rather than complete it and leave useless for others through this progressive tariff system the vast number of trips. In practice, this means that it makes more sense to return the bike before the end of the first half hour and directly re- rented again, take it to borrow over a longer period.

Sample fares (in conjunction with a subscription to Vélib ' Classique ):

A borrowed Vélib ' can be returned to any station again, so it must not be brought back to the starting point. After a short lock time ( no official figures, in practice 2-3 minutes) can be borrowed once again the same bike (or other ). Are for the ride, however, charges have been incurred, that is, it was more than half an hour on loan, initially, the corresponding amount by credit card will be charged at a station. It is also possible to recharge the account in advance with a certain amount.

Bicycles

The bikes offered in Paris are similar to those offered under the City Cyclo - other than system equipped JCDecaux cities (including Lyon, Brussels, Vienna and Dublin). They are produced in the vicinity of Tószeg in Hungary by a subsidiary of the Dutch Accell Group and will have a price of about 1000 Euros. A Vélib ' weighs 22.5 kg.

Financing

Following the example of Lyon, the city of Paris has chosen a combination of bike rental and outdoor advertising. It leaves it in the context of a public- private partnership their 1628 outdoor advertising and billboards and their rental income for a period of 10 years to the operator. In return, the company installed the system operates it and takes care of the maintenance. In addition, JCDecaux will pay a portion of its revenue to the city and demanded for promotional campaigns of the city administration in the public interest on these billboards no fees. The original contract after also the income from the rental, and the annual, weekly and monthly tickets were to the city completely.

End of 2009, the operating agreement was renegotiated with the city of Paris and changed the financial terms, especially in view of the high rate of vandalism and complaints from users. The cost of repair and replacement of lost or destroyed bikes have significantly disrupted the economic equilibrium of the system almost two years after its launch. The new contract terms after the city of Paris pays for each affected by vandalism bike (once at least 4% and a maximum of 25 % of the fleet are affected) 400 EUR to JCDecaux. In addition, the city is no longer entitled to the total rental income, the operator receives depending on the volume of revenues accounted for 35 to 50%. JCDecaux is committed simultaneously to a better distribution of bicycles in the city and promises to reduce waiting time at the telephone hotline on possible maximum of 2 minutes and to answer written inquiries within 15 days.

Problems

Uniform distribution in the urban area

Since the return of a Vélib ' by hooking into a parking space of a station affiliated occurs, it may happen that a station is full and the user can not return his bike in the desired location. The user can receive credit at the station an additional 15 free minutes in this case, moreover, the parking situation of other stations be seen in the area. The problem of occupied stations, for example, occur in the morning in the immediate vicinity of large office locations or after office hours in purely residential areas.

It also happens that a station is completely empty and a potential user can not find a bike. This is particularly the case in upland districts. To make the start-up of these stations attractive, most are higher stations called Plus stations. Specifies the user back his bike at one of these stations are not free for the first 30 minutes but the first 45 minutes.

The operator indicates that the automatic regulation works in 90 % of cases and only about 10 to 12% of the bikes have to be relocated. This is done with the help of 20 small natural gas-powered vans ( with a capacity of 20 bicycles ) and two decommissioned and converted by RATP buses, which have a capacity of 50 bicycles.

Vandalism

A major problem for the Vélib ' system is given by vandalism -related failure of bicycles. According to the operator of more than 1,500 repairs are made ​​daily, most directly at the stations. 200 wheels ( ie about 1% of the fleet ) are prepared daily in a ten studios. A studio is on a ship that moves up and down the Seine. So the broken bikes can be flexibly charged at various locations within the city. JCDecaux employs approximately 400 full-time staff to repair the bicycles.

The operator indicates that the end of October 2009 80 % of Vélib in 2006 put into service ' were either damaged or stolen. In 2008, the vandalism rate has thereby increased by 54% over the previous year. These figures far exceed the assumptions of JCDecaux and the city of Paris, which had expected a failure rate of 4%.

In November 2009, were finally only about 14,000 bicycles available. In the course of this situation, the operating agreement was amended so that the city of Paris is now paying about 400 euros per bike stolen. In addition, an information campaign launched by the user to more mindfulness was calling. End of March 2010 stood back as 19,600 bikes available.

To warn other users before the loan of a defective Vélib ', the user rotate the saddle. An appropriately labeled wheel is recognized as unusable.

Traffic Safety

The first traffic accident in which a Vélib ' users was killed, occurred on October 18, 2007. On 7 September 2009, at the initial expansion of the system to surrounding communities, dismissed the mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë out that since the introduction of Vélib ' in Paris eleven cyclists were killed in an accident, seven of which were on a Vélib' been on the road. At the same time 55 million trips had been completed on the Vélib ' to date but. In almost every fatal accident a truck is involved, indicating the driver to have not seen the cyclist when turning due to the blind spot.