Vélib’: a question of French societal values

JCDecaux, the number one outdoor advertising company and number one in self-service bike rental scheme worldwide, would like to provide some detailed answers to questions that have been raised.

Are Vélib’s users satisfied?

For 10 years, satisfaction surveys regularly carried out by Sofres on behalf of the City of Paris have demonstrated the programme’s success, the most popular scheme globally. The latest survey was conducted online by Kantar TNS from 22 to 30 November 2016 with 509 representative users (Parisians and Île de France residents, annual subscribers and occasional users). The results, which have never been published, enforce the scheme’s success:

• A record satisfaction rate of 91%
• 98% of annual subscribers would recommend Vélib’
• 96% intend to renew their subscription
• 97% user satisfaction with the website
• 91% satisfaction with Allo Vélib’

 
These exceptional satisfaction rates also point to our extensive expertise and proficiency managing 52,000 bicycles in 88 cities and 13 countries.

What are the reasons behind the scheme’s unrivalled success?

The scheme’s success is the result of a globally integrated vision from a French Group that since 1964 has upheld a responsible business model and refused to consider the men and women who serve it as an insignificant part of the business.
This stance has contributed to the high quality of Vélib’ products and services as well as the commitment to 315 employees who have been recruited, trained in new roles and with social and wage status. This is the fruit of 10 years of constructive negotiations which these employees now rightfully defend with a worthy sense of responsibility.

Is the JCDecaux/RATP/SNCF partnership's bid innovative?

The highlights and innovations in its proposal cover all aspects of the bikes and the service itself:

The Bike:

• DESIGN: A lighter, classic, iconic bike designed by Philippe Starck, with both traditional and electric versions available,
• PATENTS: Nine patents have been registered,
• SAFETY: special lights project a beam onto the ground indicating a safe area to protect riders from other vehicles, the gear and brake cables - essential safety components - are specially protected and completely inaccessible,
• THEFT/VANDALISM: A multi-point security system: new code-based bike locks with integrated Neiman keys; a new, world exclusive tamper-resistant attachment solution; a system that renders the bikes unusable and tracks their location in case of misuse; a user command and identification system protected in the cast iron docking point rather than on the bike itself; shock sensors placed in all attachments.

The Service:

• CUSTOMER SERVICE: The in-house customer relations centre, which won the “Customer Service of the Year” award in 2016 and 2017, will remain in Paris,
• THE PARTNERSHIP: RATP, SNCF and JCDecaux have joined forces to enhance the interconnection between Vélib’ and the Paris region’s major transport systems,
• TRANSITION: Existing docking stations will be reused and modernised, with no ground work required, ensuring a rapid, secure transition with no service interruption for users,
• SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A completely new green fleet of service vehicles. Electric bikes for maintenance employees. A green project that limits environmental impacts as much as possible,
• OPERATION: Trained and experienced in-house teams organised to ensure the availability, quality and security of the service provided,
• USER EXPERIENCE: Bikes can be hired using a new smartphone app, which will “control” the Vélib’ service as well as allowing users the ability to set their own preferences on electric bikes,
• CAPACITY MANAGEMENT: At the busiest docking stations, users will be able to return their bike even when they are full.

 
In the assessment carried out by the Autolib’ Vélib’ union’s Tender Committee, the JCDecaux/RATP/SNCF partnership received higher scores than the French-Spanish partnership SMOOVE SAS- MARFINA SL - INDIGO INFRA SA - MOBIVIA GROUPE for all non-financial rating criteria: specifically for “operation, upkeep, system maintenance, institutional communication, service monitoring” and “design, manufacture and system implementation”.

Does the JCDecaux/RATP/SNCF partnership’s bid retain current employees?

The JCDecaux/RATP/SNCF partnership is committed to retaining all 315 employees at current levels of pay and benefits (90% of whom work full-time on permanent contracts; 27 labour agreements have been signed with employee organisations since 2007, 20 of which were unanimous) and to recruiting new employees.

Why was JCDecaux’s proposal rejected by the Autolib’ Vélib’ union’s Tender Committee?

Once quality is no longer the determining factor, price unfortunately becomes the priority at the cost of service, the teams that ensure success and the users who benefit.
Quality, responsiveness and reliability come at a fair price. The victory by “social dumping” is unacceptable. It creates serious uncertainties for the future of 315 Vélib’ employees and their families as well as the integrity of the new service.

When and how did the JCDecaux/RATP/SNCF partnership bring the crucial question of these employees’ future to the attention of the Autolib’ Vélib’ Métropole association?

Given that retaining employees was the JCDecaux/RATP/SNCF partnership’s highest priority, the partnership addressed multiple requests to the Autolib’ Vélib’ Métropole association throughout the procedure: first at the start of the tender process on 1 July 2016, then in a registered letter sent on 6 July 2016 to the financial planning department and finally at the first hearing on 1 September 2016 and the second on 29 November 2016.
 
The Autolib’ Vélib’ Métropole association decided not to rule on the applicability of the French Labour Law regarding the continued employment of current teams. Clearly, the winning partnership does not plan on making such a request.

What conclusions can be drawn?

When employment in France is currently the central concern of the French people and the foremost topic of political debate, it is incomprehensible that a tender process of this magnitude, covering the next 15 years, would allow such a situation to arise.