Paris public transport project promises pedal pushing

Instead of throwing in a set of steak knives to clinch a big sales deal in Paris, advertising company JCDecaux has thrown in a low-cost bike rental service to seal a bus stop advertising contract. The service will allow people to pick up their ride from one of 1,450 planned bike stations across Paris using a credit card. Planned to be in operation by the end of the year, over 20,000 bikes will be available for residents to use in the city which has recently added bus lanes and widened footpaths to encourage the use of public transport.

JCDecaux isn't new to bike rental, having already established similar schemes in Vienna, Brussels and Lyon. In Lyon, signing up for the program costs five euro (US$6.45) per year plus one euro per hour with the first half hour free.

Analysis: While Parisian drivers are said to be enraged by the reduction in road space for them, there's nothing greener (apart from walking I suppose) than pedal power. Riding over cobbles all day would be hard work though.

Related:

• Norway adds bicycle trams to help cyclists up hills
• When you don't need your car, try a biofuel assisted bicycle
• In Australia, the bicycle is king

[Source: Drive.com.au]