Both cities have seen a recent increase in the number of cyclists on their streets, but each capital is dealing with future mobility in a different way.
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00:00 In two major European capitals, different approaches to transport are leading to alternate
00:05 urban futures, as Paris aims to become a 100% cycle-friendly city, implementing a car-free
00:11 zone next year, and taking the decision to ban self-service electric scooters.
00:16 In contrast, London has extended its e-scooter trial until at least May 2024.
00:21 I don't actually have an issue with e-scooters as long as they're regulated properly and
00:27 don't go too fast.
00:29 Whilst there are bold ambitions to expand protected cycle routes in London, an inability
00:34 to take city-wide changes means a lack of continuity on the roads.
00:38 It's ridiculous, frankly, because you can give people 15 miles of segregated cycle provision
00:44 and if there's one dangerous mile, they're not going to risk it.
00:48 People are frightened.
00:49 Like London, Paris has seen a major increase in cycling, but unlike London, changes are
00:54 being made at a municipal level.
00:56 So what's it like to cycle in both cities?
00:59 Paris has more cycle lanes and they're secured.
01:02 Charlotte Florence is a born Parisian who lives and works in London, but regularly cycles
01:07 on improved Paris partition cycle lanes.
01:10 It's definitely easier and more accessible to everyone to cycle in Paris than it is in
01:15 London.
01:16 I think most people who go to Paris on the weekend will rent one of the bikes and go
01:20 around on their bikes, whereas if here some friends are visiting, I would probably not
01:24 put them on a bike.
01:25 It would be a bit too scary for them.
01:27 Paris is investing a quarter of a million euros into its centralised plan to enhance
01:31 cycling infrastructure by 2026.
01:34 In London, a much larger city, the figure is triple that.
01:37 But unlike Paris, it's devolved into the hands of distinct boroughs.
01:42 This is the borough of Kensington and Chelsea where there is currently no provision for
01:46 cyclists.
01:47 Along this bridge just a few weeks ago, a young woman sadly lost her life.
01:52 In other parts of the city, cycling is catered for and campaigners say there needs to be
01:57 more joined up thinking to prevent accidents like the one that happened here.
02:03 You've got 33 different approaches to cycling and it really ranges from the sublime in places
02:08 like Hackney where every little kid is cycling to school and it's all lovely, to places like
02:12 Kensington and Chelsea where we are right now where there's massive resistance to cycling
02:17 infrastructure.
02:19 As Paris and London navigate their unique paths towards urban mobility, one question
02:23 remains, how can cities strike the right balance between sustainable innovation and safety?
02:29 Luke Hanrahan, Euronews, London.
02:31 (dramatic music)
02:34 (whooshing)