Aubervilliers installs free bicycle-sharing stations

150 self-service bikes join Aubervilliers, the first city in the inner suburbs to expand Dott’s Parisian zone.

Electric bikes in Paris’s free-floating system, besides Vélib’, are limited to the ring road. This boundary does not really help increase active mobility in the capital. This could change with an initiative starting in Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis).

First city in the inner suburbs with self-service

On December 15, 2022, Mayor Karine Fanclet signed the launch of Aubervilliers’s Sustainable City Strategy during the municipal council. Among the measures, she paved the way for Dott bikes, available for rental through self-service.

But it was only on January 12 that the first electric bikes arrived in Aubervilliers, the first city in the inner suburbs to accept this self-service. An obvious move for Dott, which recalls that it hosts the operational center “currently employing 30 staff members to manage and maintain the electric bikes in service in Paris.”

How much does Dott bike rental cost in Aubervilliers?

Thus, users will be able to cross the ring road, in either direction, for their trips. Overall, Albertvillarians and visitors can rent one of the 150 electric bikes for free-floating rental. However, parking the bike anywhere is not allowed. They must be parked in one of the 60 designated zones created for these bikes and other active mobility vehicles.

To use a Dott electric bike, you must go through the mobile app. After creating an account, find the nearest bike via GPS, then unlock it. The rental starts with €1 unlocking fee, then €0.25 per minute. So, 5 km on a Dott bike —about 20 minutes— costs €5. This is a relatively high rate, which can be reduced with passes:

• 2 trips for €3.49 within 24 hours
• 10 trips for €9.99 within 24 hours
• 90 days of unlocks for €1.99
• 30 trips for €29.99 over one month

Read also: Narbonne and Bik’air deploy 80 electric bikes for free-floating use