Summary:
This article explains the new ´Velib´ system of bicycle hire in Paris.It gives the How? Why? Where? and When? of operation and tips on what to be aware of when hiring one of these inovative machines.

Details or Sample:
Riding a bicycle around a congested city may not hold instant appeal, but Paris, while noted for blaring horns and short-tempered drivers, has 314 kilometres of designated cycle ways to accomodate those who prefer to leave their cars at home. These cycle ways are clearly marked, so by using them sensibly, cycling around the city can be surprisingly relaxing. Seeing familiar landmarks from a cycle is one of the more pleasurable ways of taking in the sights of Paris.

Last summer the city transport department, following the lead set by the city of Lyon, introduced the ´Velib´ service. Velib (short for Velo Libre, which translates as ´free cycle´) is such a simple idea one wonders why no-one thought of it years ago. It may please the eco-campaigners, but the transport department freely admits it will not ease the traffic situation in the city. Nothing short of a congestion charge, similar to the one in operation in London, will reduce the number of vehicles driving around Paris, and even then it´s doubtful how successful it would be in prising Parisians from their cars. No, the real aim of Velib is to offer both city commuters and visitors the chance to ditch the car, or avoid a stifling journey on the metro, and use a bicycle to get to their destination.

The principle of Velib is simplicity itself. 750 cycle racks, holding 8-10 cycles have been positioned in 20 Paris districts, or arrondissments, and more depots are on stream for 2008. They are all within five minutes of rail or metro stations and they are accessible 24/7.

They are not quite as free as the name implies, but the charges are very reasonable if you plan your journey. One day of hire will cost 1€ or 5€ for a week but there is a journey- time charge. The first half hour is free, the second half hour costs 1€ , the next half hour costs 3 €, and subsequent half hours are charged at 4€ each. This is worth bearing in mind, because in order to participate in the scheme you will have had to enter your credit card details at the point of hire, so if you don´t plan ahead you can soon rack up the euros on your card without realising it. You could get a nasty shock when your card statement lands on the doormat after your holiday. The best solution to this is to stick to a pre-planned itinerary, making sure you only cycle for half an hour, or an hour at most. Return the bike to the nearest Velib station when you reach your first destination, then take out another bike when you decide to move on. That way you won´t be running up a bill while you climb the Eiffel Tower, for example.

If they are hired for a week the bikes must be returned to a rack (not necessarily the one they were taken from) at the end of the day, and the next day you can take out another bike from any rack by simply entering the security code that you composed on the first day of hire. As long as you remember the code you can go on taking out bikes all week from any departure point without having to enter your credit card again. The initial hiring from a self-service machine, which is similar to parking meter, may seem a little daunting at first, but plans are in hand to have the instructions available in English and German this year which should make the process easier.

Velibs seem to have caught on in a big way with Parisians. So much so in fact, that the Paris Mairie (Town Hall) has a website dedicated to ´Le Velib´ with up-to-date news, how and where to access the cycles, maps of rack sites and cycle ways, an online booking facility for those wishing to buy season tickets, and even a blog page for regular users to record their experiences.

As part of the ´ Paris Respire´ (Paris Breathes) initiative, certain boulevards and avenues are closed to traffic on Sundays and public holidays. Cyclists, pedestrians, and roller-bladers have the roads to themselves, usually from 9 am to 6 pm, but check times with the Mairie Paris website before you take to the open road. A list of.....

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