Shared micromobility giant Lime is investing more than six million euros to ensure an optimised transport experience for all those attending the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Games will take place from 26 July to 11 August and will see millions of additional visitors descend on the capital.
“With Paris about to welcome over 15 million visitors for the Olympic Games, we are anticipating a huge increase in our e-bike usage,” Hadi Karam, Lime General Manager Western Europe, told Zag Daily.
“Recently, we have already seen a massive uptick in ridership in Paris. For example, in February 2024 (vs feb 2023), Lime saw a +90.84% increase in bike trips. As a result of the expected surge, the city of Paris has allowed us to increase our fleet by +50% to meet the demand we expect.”
In preparation for the influx, Lime will deploy 5,000 additional electric bikes in the city, bringing the total fleet up from 10,000 to 15,000 e-bikes.
It will also recruit 25% more mechanics to ensure vehicles are repaired quickly, and recruit 30% more patrol officers and drivers to oversee the distribution of the fleet.
A further €100,000 is being invested solely in the operators’ charging stations programme with the number of chargers increasing from 40 to 90 during the Games. On the user side, Lime will offer an exclusive pricing package for Olympic Games residents and visitors – 180 minutes spread over three days for €30.75.
In terms of infrastructure, Paris is well equipped to support Lime’s expansion as it already has 60 km of cycling network connecting all Olympic sites to the city centre.
“We are fully aligned with Paris City Hall’s goals of showcasing the amazing work they’ve done over the past several years to make Paris one of the bike capitals of the world. With that in mind, our investment is focused on helping visitors reach as many competition sites via bikes as possible. We want visitors around the world to experience the look and feel of a bike-first city and become advocates in their own home towns for the transformation Paris has undergone.
“We will continue to work closely with the city of Paris and the larger Paris region to continue to develop our service area. Since the beginning of this year, Lime has already won four new markets in the region and will expand into both Saint Denis and Versailles to provide shared e-bikes during the Olympic period.”
