2023-07-22 10:47:36
While half of journeys of less than 5 kilometers are made by car, the development of bicycles is a major focus of the government’s eco-mobility policy. After a first successful national plan, the State also announced a new 2023-2027 plan at the beginning of May in order to give more and more space to the cycle.
An anthology of concrete solutions already in place to get on a bicycle.
Cycling facilities
More and more territories are investing in facilities specially designed for cyclists, such as cycle paths, greenways, traffic-calming zones, parking lots reserved for bicycles, etc.
These infrastructures are constantly growing. According to government data, there were thus some 57,000 km of secure cycling facilities at the national level at the end of 2022.
Moreover, the new national plan aims to reach 80,000 km of dedicated tracks in 2027 and even 100,000 km in 2030!
Bike rental
On all fronts to democratize the use of bicycles – iStock
To facilitate access to bicycles in urban areas, many municipalities are setting up self-service bicycle rental services.
The metropolis of Lyon played the forerunners in this area since its offer was launched in 2005. In 2020, the service had 72,000 subscribers, for 35,000 rentals per day on average.
City dwellers can thus rent cycles by the day or by the hour, at very affordable prices. It is an ideal solution for making occasional trips or discovering a city.
Schools to get back in the saddle
While more and more of us are getting on our bikes to get around town, some people have never learned to ride a bike or don’t feel comfortable in heavy traffic.
To remedy this, bike-schools have been springing up everywhere in recent years. They offer all audiences, from adults to children, including seniors and people with disabilities, learning sessions or getting back in the saddle.
“Bike-schools” have been sprouting up everywhere in recent years – Shutterstock
Good plan: the French Federation of Bicycle Users (FUB), which supports these initiatives, offers a interactive map of cycle schools of its associative network on its website.
purchase subsidies
Because the price of a cycle can sometimes put off, subsidies make it possible to reduce the bill.
Awarded subject to resources, the national bicycle bonus thus amounts to between €150 and €2,000 to acquire an electric bicycle or not, whether classic, in cargo mode, folding or adapted to a handicap.
Subject to scrapping an old and polluting car, you can also benefit from the conversion bonus, set at 40% of the cost of acquiring a new or second-hand electrically assisted bicycle, up to a limit of €1,500 (or €3,000 for low-income or disabled households).
While 300,000 French people received this aid between 2017 and 2022, the government extended these devices until the end of the bicycle plan in 2027.
Granted subject to means testing, the national cycling bonus amounts to between €150 and €2,000 – iStock
To benefit from it, you must submit your request on the site Primealaconverstion.gouv.fr within six months of the invoice date of the bicycle.
Good to know: many communities also offer cumulative local aid. Do not hesitate to inquire with your city, department and region.
The business boost
In France, around two thirds of home-work journeys are still made by car. The time spent traveling, the stress of traffic jams or the sometimes unpleasant conditions of public transport can weigh on employees, whose quality of life at the office is impacted, and even cause them to resign.
To remedy this, some companies encourage the use of bicycles by offering rental services, specific parking spaces or even by setting up the sustainable mobility package which makes it possible to allocate a non-taxable travel allowance of up to €700 per year for employees who come to work by bicycle (and even €800 in the event of accumulation with the payment of a public transport subscription by the employer).
Another innovative solution: the company electric bike. Paid in whole or in part by the company, it is assigned personally to the employee who can use it to come to work but also for leisure.
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