Cycling kilometre allowance increases cycling in French public service

From September 2016, a selection of French public service employees received a cycling kilometre allowance rewarding them for their use of a bicycle on their trip to work, for a trial period.

The cycling allowance operates for the Ministry of Environmental and Solidarity Transition and the Ministry for Territorial Cohesion, as well as the latter’s associated authorities. As two years had passed since its introduction, the effects of the cycling kilometre allowance trial on the modal choice of employees have now been assessed by Cerema, which has been given the responsibility by the ministries of increasing the use of bicycles.

The results of the assessment are positive: Amongst the users taking part in a survey, the number of individuals cycling to work daily, or almost daily, increased by 25%. Taking a look at those who use the bicycle as part of an intermodal trip chain, the increase was even higher at 50%. Additionally, the assessment discovered a very interesting result: more than 60% of beneficiaries of the cycling kilometre allowance, who had not been cycling beforehand, had previously used a private car for their trip to work.

The assessment was carried out by CEREMA. Detailed results of the assessment (in French) are available from CEREMA at: https://www.cerema.fr/system/files/documents/2018/03/Cerema_IKV_fonction_publique_2.pdf

Story first published by “Fahrradportal” on 10th of March 2018.