The French take to bikes in a big way

The Champs Elysees will never be the same again. From July this year, 20,600 rental bikes will be made available across Paris for anyone to use.
After paying a nominal annual membership fee of $ 38 [about £ 25], a user may swipe their pre-pay or credit card at any of the city’s 3,450 dedicated stations to release a bike. The first 30 minutes of use is free, after which the cyclist is charged on a gradually increasing scale, to encourage a quick return. Because personal details are stored when registering for the scheme, theft is kept to a minimum.
Lyon adopted a similar scheme two years ago, which has been a great success. “It has completely transformed the landscape of Lyon—everywhere you see people on the bikes,’ says the city’s mayor.
The Lyon scheme, called ‘Cyclocity’ is estimated to have saved around 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and reduced traffic congestion by 4 per cent since it began.