News
14,000 free bike contract for Paris is halted
Carlton Reid Feb 8 2007, 4:45pm
An administrative court in Paris has suspended last week's award of a bicycle-rental contract to outdoor advertising specialist JCDecaux. Rival bidder Clear Channel Communications of the US had filed a lawsuit, claiming 'irregularities' in the tendering process.
Notification of the contract win can be found here.
JCDecaux's Somupi unit was to establish a free bicycle hire service with 14,100 bikes in place by the summer.
Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc had formed a consortium with Electricite de France, France Telecom and Vinci Park.
JCDecaux operate Lyon's successful Cyclocity rental scheme, a cycle hire service originally called Vélo’V and started in May 2005.
The Cyclocity bikes were ridden almost 12 million kms in 2006 - that's 5,000 kms per bicycle. There were 5.5 million rentals during the year, an average of 15,000 rentals per day with peaks that exceeded 30,000 during exceptional events such as Lyon's Festival of Music. Cyclocity schemes are also operated in Marseille, Aix en-Provence and Brussels.
