Paris the tourist paradise now has an alternative green option to getting around the city named the Velib. The Velib coming from a combination of words meaning bikes and freedom, has been introduced by the city to be used with the swipe of a credit or ATM card.
The large, industrial looking bikes can be rented for a day, week or year and have been installed across Paris and the suburbs at stations with each station having 12 – 15 bikes. A deposit is charged on first use and the Velib can be used on the new bike paths created specially for the purpose. There are 1,451 bicycle stations that accept the bikes after use. Re renting requires a minimum rest period of 15 minutes to ensure a fair chance to all in accessing them.
