If you're a regular user of Velib', the self-service bicycle hire scheme available in the capital, you've probably noticed that for the past few weeks, a number of them have been missing from the stations, empty in the middle of the day or faulty. Very popular with Parisians, who often travel by bike to avoid crowded public transport, this service has been a victim of its own success since the beginning of September, which seems to coincide with the disappearance of scooters in Paris at the end of August!
Sylvain Raifaud, President of the Syndicat Autolib' et Vélib' Métropole, tells BFM Paris that"there's a lot of shopping going on, and the bikes are suffering as a result". With usage up 12% last month on the previous year, according to Smovengo, the bikes' operator, maintenance is not keeping up, and the vehicles are being repaired more regularly. Out of 18,000 bicycles in the capital, 2,000 are currently missing, which quickly makes a difference on a daily basis in certain popular neighborhoods, notably Concorde with the rugby village underway.
Nathanaël, a regular user for the past 2 years, regrets having to take the metro"two days out of three, even though I took out a Vélib' subscription to avoid it". In the stations below his home in the south of Paris,"either there are no bikes, or they've run out of battery, or the tires are flat", while in the tourist districts,"there's no place to park". A galley that has become a daily occurrence, less than a year away from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which will welcome millions of tourists. By then, 3,000 new bicycles should be on their way, with ephemeral stations at Olympic venues to ensure a smoother flow of traffic.
