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Bicycle-sharing: why has parking become such a hassle?

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The Editor

© Hugo Dominguez / Le Bonbon

For the past few years, biking has been growing more and more popular in the capital, bringing joy to the planet. This expansion is seen in the increasing number of riders, as well as the rise of more bike-sharing companies. However, for some, life has become much more complicated in recent months.

A few months ago, we voiced a totally justified complaint about the surge of self-service bikes clogging up the bike parking racks, which often required doing some zig-zags and moving 12-ton vehicles just to hang up your bicycle. It was a daily hassle, and now the Paris City Hall has decided to tackle it by tightening parking regulations since October 1st. However, many users have found themselves in a bit of a pickle since then.


A place for everything, and everything in its place

Back in June, a new self-service bike operator, Voi, secured a new contract with the City of Paris, joining Lime and Dott in the streets of the capital.

Arriving with a big bang since October, these latest little queens in a lovely pink color have come to boost the already well-filled fleet of vehicles available for Parisians. While many users have welcomed their arrival, others lament that it coincided with the introduction of a new parking measure.

Indeed, starting from October 1, 2026, in response to complaints from bike owners who often find themselves in a bind despite the presence of 120,000 parking spots on the streets of Paris, the city council has decided to ban free-floating bike companies from certain bike racks. The rule is simple: the number of public bikes allowed to park is proportional to the number of spaces. So, if there are fewer than 6 spots, no bikes allowed. From 8 to 10 spots, one lucky rider can park their bike, and 2 will be allowed between 12 and 16 spots, and so on. These rules are a bit complex but are integrated directly into various applications that indicate which areas are allowed or not.


A Necessary Dialogue

This new situation unfortunately creates challenges for some users, as it has led to a 50% decrease in the number of bikes.places accessible in the capital, now located in « forbidden zones ». A great opportunity for the 60% of Parisian cyclists who own their own bikes, but a real concern for others, especially since many of the remaining allowed spaces lack bike racks and are often wrongly used by cars or motorcycles. To address this situation, the City of Paris is set to meet with various companies in December to brainstorm a solution that would work for the majority… Stay tuned!