bike-to-work incentives city commuter

Get paid to bike to work: this is how Belgium promotes citizens

Last Updated on 21 May 2023 by Stefano

You could ride a bike to work in the future if you are concerned about the environment. If you regularly ride your bike to work, this will help you get fitter. Your physique will improve if you cycle to work in the morning and return home at night.
Selecting a bicycle as a mode of transportation is an excellent alternative since it is healthy for the environment, and avoids traffic, clogged roads, and accidents related to departure times and schedules. In addition, it allows for environmental sustainability.

bike-to-work incentives city commuter

The economic savings are thus important to consider. There are no parking fees or fuel costs, therefore public transport costs are eliminated. Regarding money, choosing to split your time between the two rounds may be detrimental both in terms of savings and gain. In fact, there are several European countries that provide cycling mobility programmes.

In Belgium, the government has been promoting commuting to work by bicycle with reimbursement per kilometre since 2011. The incentive to go to work by bicycle has so far intercepted more than 400,000 people, which means fewer cars on the streets, less pollution and more safety.

On average, these 400,000 thousand cyclists are credited on their salary every day with a sum that reaches €198-230 per person over the course of the entire working year. However, if the employee worked 210 days a year covering a distance of 15 km and received a mileage reimbursement of 0.22 cents/km, the figure would reach €1,386. Extra money in the paycheck would be very close to a thirteenth month’s salary, and it cannot be said that it is not convenient for many.

The distances that must be travelled by bicycle to get to the place of employment are, by all accounts, quite substantial. Some people would not travel more than 5 kilometres on a city bicycle, while others might take advantage of the bike-to-work programme to keep up with their training for domestic emergencies.

This initiative will cost the state of Belgium 93 million Euros annually, but that sum does not take into account the savings in time, money, unproductive investment, and reduced healthcare costs that will result from it.

Pros and cons of cycling to work

First off, it’s healthy for both the environment and people. Everybody needs a little amount of healthy activity in their daily routines, and by including it in your day in this way, you can intelligently optimise your time. Parking is a second issue that should not be taken lightly. Parking two wheels is undoubtedly much easier and less expensive than parking a motor vehicle, even though the issue is delicate given the restricted locations allocated to two-wheels, especially for those who live in cities.

Apart from laziness, the only drawbacks to this decision may be atmospheric conditions, which may be mitigated by taking a few simple safety measures.

The Netherlands Is Setting the Standard

The Dutch government, as it was reported in late 2018, would invest roughly €780 million in bicycle infrastructure in an effort to persuade 200,000 more people to bike to and from work by 2023.

In order to better accommodate individuals who like to bike, 15 routes will become “cyclist motorways,” 25,000 additional bicycle parking spots will be created, and more than 60 storage facilities will be upgraded.

According to the Fietserbond (Cyclists’ Association), the Netherlands has budgeted around €1.1 billion towards bicycle infrastructure.

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