Calls for a voucher scheme to give fairer access to cycling

Research carried out by Sustrans has revealed there are around two million people in the UK who would like to cycle but are priced out of getting started.

The active travel charity propose a voucher scheme, which they claim would be simple to implement and worth about £60 million to the economy each year.

Previous research by Sustrans found that only 30% of people on a low income have access to a cycle while this number is nearly double (59%) for people in socioeconomic groups A and B1.

The latest survey, which was funded by the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, asked for the views of 2,052 people earning £17,000 or less, or not in employment. People in this group are much less likely to have access to a car compared to the general population. 

It found that 38% – equating to 1.9m people nationally – would like to cycle but are prevented from doing because of cost. 

The rectify this imbalance, Sustrans are proposing the introduction of a 40% discount voucher, to enable those less well-off to enjoy similar benefits to the Cycle to Work scheme, where discounts of between 30-42% are available.

The charity propose that their scheme be considered a parallel initiative to the Cycle to Work scheme, whereby vouchers worth around £18m a year could help 100,000 people on low income to get into cycling, while offering significant benefits – their modelling suggests in the region of £60m – to the economy by improving people’s health and access to work and education.

Xavier Brice, CEO of report authors Sustrans, said: ‘A new UK Government brings new opportunities. Their focus on the economy, opportunity and health is critical, and integrating transport with walking, wheeling and cycling must be a part of this. To include those at all economic levels in this is a priority, or we risk leaving two million people to the dangers of transport poverty.

‘The opportunity to get more people cycling is right here for the taking. The Cycle to Work scheme has existed for 25 years. Why shouldn’t the same opportunities be extended to the people that need it most – now?

‘Using the Cycling Opportunity voucher scheme, we can tackle this inequality together and enjoy the benefits together too; for our bank accounts, our NHS and our environment.’

Himesh, a resident of Islington who is currently looking for work, explained how a voucher scheme would benefit him: ‘Cycling was always a way to escape my stresses. 90% of the cycles I went on in Canada were leisure cycles. Now, when I’m using the rental bikes in London, I’m super conscious of the time so I make sure I take the optimum route to make the most of my money. The price per minute has gone up too.

‘Since I moved to London, cycling as a hobby has disappeared from life. Any scheme that could loosen the financial burden would really help me in getting my own bike.’

The Sustrans report also makes recommendations for the successful implementation of such a scheme, such as ensuring it is fully accessible, with additional support for disabled people who might need specialised bikes and training offered to those who might need it.

It also points out there are other barriers to cycling such as secure storage and  cycling infrastructure which need to be addressed.

Vivienne Jackson, Programme Manager at abrdn Financial Fairness Trust said: ‘We know access to transport is a key barrier to employment for people on lower incomes. It’s not right that people on a low income can’t access discount cycle schemes that are available to others. If the government is serious about getting people into work and growing the economy, implementing a Cycle-to-Work style scheme for people who are unemployed or on low incomes seems like an obvious solution, and will have other benefits too.’