Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë told RMC Radio on July 5 that the city plans to offer low-cost rentals of “non-polluting” cars to its residents as soon as a program can be implemented—probably, by the end of 2012. "This could revolutionize transport," Delanoë commented on the French airwaves.
The car rental plan will be similar in design and overall objectives to the economical bicycle rental program, called Vélib’, that has proven successful in Paris since 2007. Vélib’ offers about 20,000 bikes at 1,202 rental stations across the French capital. With the great increase in the number of Parisians pushing bike pedals instead of gas peddles, the city has been able to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion, and to make its streets easier for everyone to navigate. In fact, a recent study found that bikes are the fastest way to reach most destinations citywide.
Vélib' is operated as a concession by JCDecaux, a major French advertising corporation. JCDecaux (News - Alert) experimented with different models and developed a sturdy, less vandal-prone bike, along with a rental system that discourages theft: Each rider must leave a credit card or refundable deposit of about $195, along with personal information.
And to encourage people to return bikes quickly, rental rates rise the longer the bikes are out. Thus, renting a bike in Paris is free for the first 30 minutes, $1.30 for the next 30 minutes, $2.60 for the third half-hour, and $5.20 for the fourth half-hour of use and every 30 minutes after that. That makes the cost of a two-hour rental about $9.10.
Paris's army of cheap, on-street hire-bicycles has transformed transport habits and bike awareness. Now the Mayor hopes to accomplish something similar with his car-rental plan.
The new Autolib services, defined as "as-you-wish rental of non-polluting vehicles," would require residents to register and obtain a card. By presenting that card and paying a minimal price, Parisians would be able to rent one of approximately 4,000 electric or hybrid cars at sites throughout the city and its outskirts.
The chosen vehicles for this service are not exclusively electric, "because they're not 100 percent ready," explained Delanoë. Models will be announced as the system develops.
Paris City Hall said 700 Autolib pick-up points would be set up across the Paris area—200 of them, underground. A driver would be able to pick up a car, for example, in the east of the city and drop it off in the west after a short journey.
"There will be a computerized system that allows you, as soon as you collect the car to announce where you'll drop it off, so there will be a parking space available," Delanoë explained.
One target group is young couples with children who occasionally need a car to shop or travel, but cannot afford to buy their own. The Mayor described it as "a system of individual journeys that are completely clean.”
But Green Party members in Paris warned that Socialist Mayor’s plan would encourage the public to use any type of car, instead of giving incentives to stick to bikes and public transport.
"I'm very skeptical," said Denis Baupin, a Green Party Deputy Mayor. "If this scheme encourages people to pick up these cars every day, using them to go into work and back instead of using bikes or the Metro—crowding roads and changing habits, that's a problem. Whenever electric car schemes have been tested in French towns, it has been a failure."
Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard (News - Alert) Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Carrie Schmelkin
