Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
JCDecaux S.A. (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide and the global leader in self-service bike rental schemes, has been awarded, following a competitive tender, the bike rental and parking contract for Nantes Métropole for a period of seven years (with the possibility of renewing it for a further three years).
Jean-Charles Decaux, Co-Chief Executive Officer of JCDecaux, said “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Nantes Métropole around a global and resolutely innovative solution, which will make a decisive contribution to eco-mobility. As early as 2008, Nantes Métropole was a pioneer in eco-friendly mobility with a bicloo self-service bike offering. The additional self-service bike rental/long-term bike rental and parking services that we will roll out in 2018 will boost travel connections and offer a simplified user experience. All of the Group’s teams, in particular the 141 local employees working daily to guarantee quality of service, are proud to have won this contract and of the renewed trust of Nantes Métropole, and will put all of their expertise to work to ensure the success of this global mobility solution.”
Accordingly, JCDecaux has totally renewed its offering, becoming the sole bike operator for Nantes Métropole with a comprehensive bicloo service. This is the first time in France that an operator has proposed a global and complementary bike offering for a local authority: self-service bikes, medium/long-term bike rental, including electric bikes, and parking solutions. These schemes will be rolled out in the 24* districts of Nantes Métropole from September 1, 2018, closely associating both the civil society and private economic contributors of the territory.
Under this new contract, JCDecaux will deploy:
- 1,230 new self-service bikes, a 100% assembled in France
- 123 docking stations including 20 docking stations with solar masts, self-sufficient energy.
The bikes and docking stations have been designed by the Franco-Argentinian architect Marcelo Joulia.
This scheme will be supplemented by a medium/long-term bike rental offering, in partnership with Cyclable, the number one urban electric bike company in France. 2,000 bikes (traditional, adapted, cargo and folding), including 74% electric bikes, will be brought into service over the next 3 years: 1,000 in 2018, 500 in 2019 and 500 in 2020.
Finally, JCDecaux will manage bike parking spaces, including individual, collective and collective spaces inside town centre car parks.
The Group will offer a simplified solution with a single office for the three services: self-service bike hire, long-term bike rental and parking. For users, a single account will enable them to access all these services for an easy experience, which will enable everyone to freely organise their travel throughout the Métropole.
These different schemes offer numerous innovations, including:
- A shared self-service bike hire/long-term bike rental/parking application (Mobility App) promoting multi-modal travel.
- Self-service bikes: immediate possession of the bike thanks to a contactless card or via the Mobility App from your smartphone; smartphone receiver positioned on the handlebars; possibility of stopping outside the docking station and returning your bicloo even when the docking station is full thanks to electronic locking ….
- Medium/long-term bikes: 1 month, 1 year rental with routine maintenance included, optional home delivery…
- Parking: connected sensors for occupancy control, information in real-time to facilitate travel and show where places are available (website and Mobility App).
JCDecaux’s offering is part of a deliberate policy by Nantes Métropole which, under its Urban Travel Plan, wishes to increase bike use to 12% in 2030.
The JCDecaux offering is also part of a policy to support local expertise since 88% of the long-term bikes will be designed in the Loire-Atlantique region.
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