The French Government has now followed through on an earlier commitment to offer any resident a state-funded bike or e-bike subsidy of up to €2,000. The scheme now even includes the chance to use the aid to buy a second-hand unit sold by a professional outlet.
The pioneering scheme has one key aim – that is to promote cycling as a viable alternative to driving for short journeys, upping the accessibility to those on all incomes and throwing a lifeline to those with disabilities who may otherwise have found it difficult to access and cover the costs of a pedal-assisted mobility aid.
While there is no mentioned link, the scheme no doubt has taken inspiration from the capital city’s progress, where the mayor has, since Covid’s arrival, given fair weighting to active travel in transport spending, an action that has stimulated Parisian’s to take to walking and cycling in numbers on hundreds of kilometres of new cycle lanes.
The commitments come as part of a broader 2023 to 2027 cycling and walking plan, developed by the country’s first interministerial cycling and walking committee. The scheme will therefore run until 2027 and has evolved around a professional refurbishment market that now includes reputable online specialists in this sphere, such as Upway.
There are of course some criteria to meet before residents can apply. One of those, excluding those with a disability, is income. The text reads ‘This criterion now increases from 13,489 Euros of RFR per unit to 14,089 Euros (in reference to taxable income). For the most modest households, the criterion increases from 6,300 Euros of RFR per share to 6,358 Euros.
There does also appear to be caps on the level of subsidy available, with bike purchases receiving less subsidy than electric bikes and electric bikes again receiving less than the maximum afforded to those buying electric cargo bikes, which it can fairly be said have applications both for personal utility and for business purposes. Again, the overarching aim here is to reduce short journey car trips, decongest cities and lower pollution, all the while improving the health of the nation.
No electric bikes with a lead acid battery qualify for the scheme down to the outdated technology. The bought cycle cannot be resold in the year following its purchase and the scheme can only be used one time per resident. Each bike sold must carry a unique identifier, written on to the frame, a scheme designed to combat the stolen goods trade in cycles.
Now comes the question, will the UK’s next Government follow France once again? During Covid’s first lockdowns a runaway success bike repair voucher scheme introduced was actually a borrowed idea first introduced in France. An e-bike subsidy is one area for conversation that Cycling Electric broached with a Labour MP this week and will soon follow in an interview published here.
