The easy success of Angers Vélocité

Angers Vélocité has just opened a new agency to rent bikes. According to some local medias, that confirm the success of the formula of rented bikes implemented in Angers city since 2004. But is such a success surprising with the conditions set by town hall for the customers?

In fact, due to the scare duties of those, the development of Vélocité is quite logic. Every person living in Angers, definitely or temporarlly, tax contributor or not, may get a bike. There is no deposit to do. The candidate has only to sign a contrat for renting the bike for a four month period renewable twice. If the bike is damaged, the users has to foot the bill. But how the city get the money if the biker has gone from Angers, in France or abroad?

Credit picture Angers City

No data about the cost for the city of that formula have been published yet. Six hundred new bikes will be available at the Belle-Beille agency (3 000 in Angers). In some public meetings of Angers districts people complain that the main beneficiaries of Vélocité bikes are students. A new formula has recently been offered to visitors in Angers. But with that one, the rent of a bike for less thant a day is charged while the rent of a bike for a year is free. Is that wise?