The city’s hugely successful bicycle-sharing service, Velib, is now visible everywhere with nearly 23,000 bicycles at roughly 1,800 stations. The first 30 minutes are free. Just show up at a station, grab a bike and go. Why anyone would hassle with a private bicycle here is beyond me. After a slow start, car-sharing has grown explosively. The city’s Autolib car service, operated by the French Bollore Group, is omnipresent in central Paris and environs. Bollore opened its first U.S. car-sharing service -- BlueIndy -- last year in Indianapolis. If it’s successful, other cities will follow.
Paris is becoming a prime example of a city where alternative firms of transport are starting to become more popular than travelling in a private car . Public transport , bicycles , scooters and car - sharing services are all growing in popularity and offering alternatives to traditional vehicle ownership . According to Automotive News , Paris now has about 20 miles of cycle lanes , and “ pedicabs ” are proving a popular option for tourists . Furthermore , bike - sharing service Velib now has 23k bicycles available at various pick - up / drop - off stations around the city . Lastly , the popular Bollore Bluecar electric bike share service now boasts over 300 bicycles on their platform which have access to over 6k charging places and bike charging stations city - wide .