Narbonne and Bik’air offer 80 electric bikes for free use
This page is translated from the original post "Narbonne et Bik’air mettent 80 vélos électriques en libre-service" in French.
- 20/01/2023 9:00
Narbonne and Bik’air collaborate to implement 80 dockless electric bikes, without kiosks or stations, since December 15.
More and more medium-sized cities in France are adopting dockless bike-sharing. Waiting for Brest to renew its offer or even Les Sables d’Olonne arriving in spring, Narbonne is now offering bike rentals.
80 electric bikes available
City with over 56,000 residents including the metropolitan area, Narbonne chose the Bik’Air company for this service. The company specializes in small urban areas and already operates in 12 locations across France: Nevers, Bourges, Saint-Lô, and several municipalities in the Alpes-Maritimes (Vence, Antibes, and Menton).
The bikes are electric with a single speed (via a chain rather than a belt), open frame, spoked wheels, puncture-resistant tires, lighting, adjustable saddle to suit all users, a front basket, and an “intelligent” lock. Narbonne has hosted 80 of these dockless electric bikes for a month now.
What is the price of the Bik’Air bike in Narbonne?
The municipal team inaugurated the dockless service on December 15, 2022. “Bik’Air is the choice of the municipality because it’s simple, we’re as free as the air, and you can pick up a bike anywhere and drop it off at your destination, with no particular constraints,” explains Bertrand Malquier, the first deputy mayor of Narbonne. “You just need to download the app.” The usage zone covers the entire municipality, visible in blue on this app, available on App Store or Google Play.
“You create your account in just a few minutes, see the bikes located around you, and unlock the lock that blocks the rear wheel by scanning with your phone, specifies Nathan Cohen, founder of Bik’Air. “Once you arrive, you lock the lock manually.” We personally tested it: it takes only two minutes to create an account—justifying being over 16 years old—and discover the bikes available in Narbonne. The bikes have a number and display their remaining autonomy in kilometers.
Simple to use, but at what cost? The electric bikes in Bik’Air’s dockless system cost €0.15 per minute. Thus, a 10-minute ride covering about 2.5 kilometers costs €1.50. A promo code is also sent to new users, allowing the first trip to be free.
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