We encourage people to cycle to work through a range of initiatives aimed at creating a cycling culture. We have helped the cycle industry develop the ‘Cycle to Work’ scheme which takes advantage of a tax exemption to provide bikes for staff to cycle to work and offers a way to cut substantially the cost of bikes to employees. We have also published guidance for employers on how they can encourage cycling among their staff in our “Essential Guide to Travel Planning” and are promoting cycling to employers through our ‘National Business Travel Network’.
Nationally, we are supporting Cycling England with £140 million over three years to increase levels of cycling. These include our six cycling demonstration towns; a further 10 demonstration towns and one city which we hope to announce before the autumn; the new cycling training scheme ‘Bikeability’ to give the next generation the skills and confidence to ride their bikes on today’s roads; and providing guidance to local authorities on the design of cycling infrastructure.