France to launch cycle-to-work schemes

While the Ministry recognises that local and regional authorities have a central role in mobility planning, the State should foster  mobility initiatives and policy.

Launched in June 2013 under the leadership of the Environment Ministry, the PAMA steering committee identified 6 areas of interest to provide concrete guidelines to:

• Develop intermodality between collective transport/active travel
• Share public space and secure active mobility
• Highlight the positive externalities related to cycling
• Include mobility in urban development, habitat and social habitat planning
• Develop tourist and leisure itinerary
• Communicate on positive aspects of walking and cycling

In March 2014, the Committee listed several measures for implementing the identified axis of work.

Among these, some 20 companies and institutions employing a total of 10,000 people have signed up to pay their staff 25 euro cents per kilometer biked to work. The ministry hopes that the bike-to-work incentive scheme will boost bike use for commuting by 50 percent from 2.4 percent of all work-home journeys, or about 800 million km, with an average distance of 3.5 km per journey.

After the 6-month trial starting on June 2nd, experts will monitor and assess the effects on active travel to work. Analysis is expected to be published at the end of the year.

For further information (in French), please refer directly to the Ministry website.