So it seems that JC Decaux have been complaining about the costs of running the Velib scheme in Paris:
Since the scheme’s launch, nearly all the original bicycles have been replaced at a cost of 400 euros each.
Of course, this won’t be a problem in Dublin. Going by Newstalk’s estimates of how much the advertising space provided to JC Decaux for free, in exchange for the (as yet nonexistent) 450 bikes would have cost, each bike comes at a public cost of 111,000 Euros. That should cover a lot of "velib extreme".
(OK, that may be overestimating it. The Irish Times puts a more sober figure of EUR 1m per year; that works out as EUR 2,000 per bike per year. Still should cover a few broken bikes.)
A quick reminder:
| Paris | Dublin |
|---|---|
| 20,000 bikes | 450 promised |
| ~1,600 billboards | ~120 installed |
| ~12.5 bikes per billboard | ~3.8 bikes per billboard |
| 10km range (from 15e to 19e arondissement) | 4km range (from the Mater Hospital to the Grand Canal) |
And, of course, there’s no sign of the bikes here yet… assuming they ever arrive. Heck of a job, Dublin City Council.
BTW, here’s the rate card for advertising on the "Metropole" ad platforms, if you’re curious, via the charmingly-titled Go Ask Me Bollix.