New bike taxi service kicks off today in Paris

It promises to be faster and more efficient than car cabs

Starting today, 23 February, there will be a new mobility option for hire on the streets of Paris. Called Heetch Bike, it is a taxi service featuring a driver on a bike pulling a passenger cabin. For now, it will only be available on weekends.

The new service markets itself both as distinct from the traditional car cabs and from the tuk-tuks that have recently become fashionable in the French capital with tourist crowds.

If you feel suspicious about the viability of this type of transport-for-hire, this is what Heetch aims to deliver: “Our promise is travel in Paris 40% faster and 20% cheaper than by VTC”, as quoted by 20Minutes. VTC is the French term for cab services operating outside of the formal taxi licence sphere, in essence that means any hired transport service featuring a driver. This includes a service like Uber for example.

What’s behind the faster mobility service claim?

Heetch Bike aims to tap into the rising popularity of bicycles in the French capital and the decreasing role of private cars.

According to Actu Paris, the company is basing its promise to deliver faster service than cabs because it bets on the fact that with the expected inauguration of Limited Traffic Zone (ZTLs) in the centre of the city later this year, car traffic in that area will become more restricted and limited.

That will be a golden opportunity for sustainable mobility options, such as bicycles to take over the streets and thus grant a better and quicker way of moving through the Paris downtown.

And for those concerned that the bike taxis would not be able to provide the same comfort as cars, Heets responds that their cabins feature heated bench seats, protective windshields and a glass roof. Passengers are thus guaranteed to reach their destination in comfort despite the atmospheric conditions.