Many European countries have cycle to work scheme encouraging commuters to switch to bike transport. For many of us, getting to work means mornings trapped behind the wheel in a traffic jam, or jostling for space in a rammed subway carriage.
But across Europe, more and more people are swapping cars and buses for bikes .
Biking is great for your health – and a fantastic alternative to carbon-intensive and gas-guzzling transport .
So which European countries have the best cycle to work schemes – and which are lagging behind? Which countries in Europe have the best cycle to work schemes?
Plenty of European countries have cycle to work schemes – but not all are created equal. The Netherlands offers a mileage allowance
Dutch people cycle an average of 2.6km per day. If this pattern was replicated worldwide, one study suggests, annual global carbon emissions would drop by 686 million tonnes – more than the UK’s entire carbon footprint .
The government encourages this healthy habit by offering bike commuters a ‘mileage allowance’.Since 2006, businesses have rewarded bike-riding commuters €0.19 per kilometre, a spend the government allows them to deduct from their tax bill. This mileage allowance was previously only available to drivers who could claim it to cover the cost of fuel. It was expanded to cyclists in 2007 – and since bikes don’t require expensive petrol, cyclists can simply pocket the money.A commuter cycling 10 kilometres per day five days a week could earn about €450 a year from the scheme. […]
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