JCDecaux: 200 million self-service bicycle rentals worldwide

Paris, September 29, 2011 - JCDecaux SA (Euronext Paris: DEC), the world’s No.1 outdoor advertising company and No.1 in self-service bicycle hire, announces that it has achieved a total of 200 million self-service bicycle rentals since the launch of its bicycle hire schemes in cities worldwide.

After eight years’ international experience, the 47,000 bicycles provided by JCDecaux for self-service rental and their 3,800 docking stations have been selected by 67 cities in 10 different countries in Europe, and Asia-Pacific. JCDecaux pioneered this form of individual public transport, installing its first bicycles in Vienna (Austria) in 2003. Since then, the group’s self-service bicycle rental schemes, which are in most cases part of the street furniture provided to cities that grant JCDecaux advertising rights, have been updated in line with users’ expectations (e.g. bicycles with stronger baskets, 3- or 7-speed gears, more comfortable saddles, etc.) and have now achieved this record-breaking number of rentals. Since 2010, all users around the world have been able to access the AllBikesnow service, a free application that can be downloaded to iPhone and Android devices, providing subscribers with access to a wealth of information about the availability of bicycles, the location of docking stations, and updated account details.

These 200 million rentals reflect the growing enthusiasm of city-dwellers for this eco-friendly means of transport, a trend confirmed by the average rental growth rate between the 1st half of 2010 and the 1st half of 2011: + 20% (adjusted to account for the increase in the number of cities using these schemes). Self-service bicycle rental solutions not only complement existing public transport systems but also helps protect the environment by saving for instance an estimated 31,554 tons of CO2 for 2010.

The success of JCDecaux’s self-service bicycle hire schemes is based upon a number of principles designed to make the service simple to use and accessible to all: a carefully tailored pricing strategy, payment by bank cards, link-up with season tickets issued by the host cities, easy access to subscriptions (via the Internet) and the close proximity of docking stations.

Building upon this success, JCDecaux aims to meet the needs of local communities and their residents with continual innovations. The new features submitted for Vélib’ in Paris have led to a substantial increase in the number of users and their uptake of the scheme, reaching a total of 200,000 long-term subscribers and 120,000 daily rentals in recent weeks.

Jean-Charles Decaux, co-CEO of JCDecaux, said: “With a total of 200 million individual rentals, the self-service bicycle rental schemes continue to meet the expectations of 67 cities and their residents. This figure reflects the outstanding quality of the service provided by JCDecaux’s teams around the world, delivering the highest levels of operations and maintenance. JCDecaux will continue to lead the way in the field of sustainable mobility, building upon today’s record-breaking figures to create the self-service bicycle rental schemes of the future.”