• Two-wheeled vehicles are becoming an important part of the system for the last-mile commute for Paris residents, who either do not have vehicles or would wish to cover areas not covered by commuter trains and buses.
• The bikes are fully electric, meaning that you have no clutch and experience no abrupt starts or jolts. They also have a speed limit of 45km/h. The cost of €0.20 (Sh23) per minute is covered.
Like any other big city, Paris can get congested, and hence the emphasis on efficient and convenient urban transport systems that ease the pressure of commuting.
Parisians, unlike Nairobians today, have a wide selection of commuter transport options, ranging from trams, high capacity buses, metro trains (underground and overground) and taxis.
The metro is still the most used form of transportation in Paris, with a single ticket costing 1.90€ (Sh220), and which is valid for transfers in one and a half hours.
However, the transfers are only between certain methods of transport and depending on the type of transport used. For instance, you cannot transfer from Paris Metro to Bus, but can from one Metro line to another, without exiting the confines of a station, or Tramway and any bus lines that cross it.
But two-wheeled vehicles are becoming an important part of the system for the last-mile commute for Paris residents, who either do not have vehicles or would wish to cover areas not covered by commuter trains and buses.
When you walk or drive around Paris, you will see some blue-and-white motorbikes, or some green bicycles randomly parked on the side of the road.
You are also likely to see some lone electric scooter standing there as if abandoned by its user.
While this may look unusual or cluttering the street, these modes of transport are important for residents of Paris, as the Star observed during a recent trip.
All these two-wheeled vehicles are operated using your mobile phone. You book them through your phone and unlock them for use using your phone.
The blue-and-white motorbikes are run by a company called CityScoot, a first service that offers full access to electric scooters throughout Paris and also in the city of Nice.
"The scooters have become a preferred mode of transport for Parisians, where we have had 3.5 million rides in two years with about 100,000 users," CityScoot growth manager Alexis Marcadet said.
To start your ride, you download an app on your phone through which you look for the bike that is closest to you to book it.
Once you have booked, you have 10 minutes to get to the scoot. Unlock it with the four-digit code you have in the app, pick the helmet under the saddle, and ride to where you need to go.
If you need to run into a shop that is on your way to the destination, you are free to park it, run your errand and hop back on and ride to your destination.
Once you are ready to end the trip, on an authorised public parking spot, put your helmet under the saddle, click on a button on the bike or on your app, which locks it, awaiting the next rider.
FULLY ELECTRIC
The bikes are fully electric, meaning that you have no clutch and experience no abrupt starts or jolts. They also have a speed limit of 45km/h. The cost of €0.20 (Sh23) per minute is covered.
According to Marcadet, most of their customers take rides under 40 mins.
"People are not taking CityScoot for long journeys, as it may be more convenient and faster to take buses or taxis for long distances."
The company has partnered with Allianz to insure the riders against all risks, until the moment you end your ride. Coverage is included in the rental price, and you’re automatically subscribed as soon as you book.
In the event of an accident or dead battery, the rider is also covered. However, there is a rider that Cityscoot is designed for single riders only, so it’s forbidden to carry passengers.
Another way of getting around Paris is through electric scooters, which have, however, been criticised because of safety concerns.
The Star met up with Vasco Alexandre, who is the operations manager of Lime, a company that deals with shared scooters, bikes and transit vehicles in 50 cities across the world.
"Our scooters were distributed every morning in the streets of Paris in strategic positions, where we believe they will be used the most," Alexandre said.
To operate the scooters, one needs a mobile phone up through which they search, identify and unlock one to use.
The scooters can cover up to 35km on a single charge, and users pay €0.15 (Sh17.45) per minute. Lime says users take about 30,000 rides per day.
"It is safe to use, as long as you follow the rules. It is not a toy but a real transportation device. There are some rules that users should respect like you should not ride on sidewalks. Ride only on the bike lanes or bus lanes. You need to abide by all local traffic rules. We also strongly advise that you wear a helmet," Alexandre said.