Smovengo has the summer to solve the problem

The last chance plan for Vélib '. Smovengo convinced SAVM (Syndicat Autolib 'Vélib' Métropole) and the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, to give him the summer to get the self-service bike system back on track in the Paris region. It was not easy because, once again, this group had not kept all its commitments at the end of June. He promised 30,000 races a day? In recent days, he was struggling to reach 13,000 daily rentals.

"From mid-July, we will reintroduce electric bicycles," said Arnaud Marion, executive chairman of Smovengo for a fortnight. By the end of September, the goal is to achieve 30,000 races with a fleet of 10,000 bicycles including 3,000 electric distributed in 800 stations all electrified. "If the SAVM has decided to still trust Smovengo for Vélib ', c is that he has no desire to terminate a new contract related to transport after that of Autolib '. At less than two years of municipal elections, it would be bad for Anne Hidalgo who has the majority of the votes at the SAVM and intends to run for a second term in the capital.

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But there is also all the work done by Arnaud Marion since his arrival that convinced the mayor of Paris to grant a grace period to Smovengo. First, it has significantly increased the number of employees to maintain and change bicycles, from 105 to 234 employees. Second project: dealing with the countless computer and telecom problems that make stalling and rendering of bikes random, as well as the calculation of the duration of the race which leads to billing.

To do this, senior executives were recruited. "And we've deployed a new version of the totems on each station and a new version of the v-box on each bike," said Arnaud Marion. Moreover, Smovengo has tackled the improvement of the bikes themselves. For example, the fork will be reinforced in September and to make the collision of bicycles less random, holds were installed at each parking spot before introducing a more durable device in September.

In contrast, Smovengo did not commit to the date on which it would have completed the deployment of the 1,400 stations provided for in the contract. Before, he will have a crucial meeting at the end of September. "We will have to decide on the future of this market, including the choice of Smovengo, given the results that this group will present at the end of September," says Catherine Baratti-Elbaz, President of SAVM. Smovengo is warned: he plays his last cards this summer.