On 9 Aug, 13:15, spindrift wrote:
The French version:
snip

That article dated from the days before the launch and was similar to
one the Times published in the UK. Both had a relatively negative take
on the idea and included the key quote from the president of the Paris
Auto Club. The evidence to date is that despite a few teething
problems (Certain stands are frequently full and it can be necessary
to hunt for an empty space) the system is popular. The popular
estimates are that 2/3rds of the bikes seen on the streets of Paris
are Vélib ones. Assuming that existing bike owners aren't choosing to
leave theirs at home, that equates to a substantial increase in
cycling. It remains to be seen how that lasts.

Jon