The already-troubled record of the new operator of Paris’s Velib’ bike system took a new hit this week, as the company began to pull non-working units, including all of its e-bikes for repair.
The company, Smovengo, took over the system last year from long-time operator JCDecaux, amid promises of a new fleet of bikes, a third of them electric, along with improved maintenance and service.
But now, with most of its stations either not working or unable to charge batteries, as well as problems with its apps, wheels falling off bikes and a system-wide malfunction it’s starting to look like a French version of Berlin’s new airport project.
Smovengo has already been fined €1 million for the failures and has been threatened with loss of its contract. The company says it will have the system back up and running, mostly, by late June. That includes getting bikes repaired, and ensuring that all docking stations are connected to the electric grid, which most weren’t, as of May.
Without power, the e-bikes are useless, and agents sent to rescue them with charged batteries have not been able to keep up with the task. Smovengo, a new company with French and Spanish ownership had no previous experience in the field; it now seems likely they were not a good choice.
