Encourage the French to take the bike rather than the metro. This is the watchword of the government which is developing an arsenal of measures to encourage the practice of the little queen from May 11.
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One of them could prove very useful to lovers of two-wheelers, 30 million of which are used in France. The State will thus offer a package of 50 euros intended for the repair of a bicycle (change of chain, brake, tire, derailleur ...) within a referenced network of repairers, who will be listed on the FUB website and a dedicated platform.
"A boost to the bike during the period of deconfinement to encourage people to choose this mode of travel," explains the Minister of Ecological Transition, Élisabeth Borne, to the Parisian , who revealed the information. " The objective is that French people who wish to have one in working order from May 11, " explains Virgile Caillet, general delegate of the Sport & Cycle Union.
The use of this package should be very simple, explains the daily, since it will be enough to go to one of the repairers concerned without paying anything, unless the note exceeds 50 euros. The craftsman is reimbursed by the State. More than 3000 professionals or associations have already registered on the online platform. If not all of them are currently open, the sale and repair of bicycles is well permitted during containment.
A fund of 20 million euros
This measure is part of a plan of 20 million euros that the state has decided to pay to encourage pedaling to get to his workplace. It will be implemented in partnership with the Federation of Bicycle Users (FUB). The creation of temporary parking spaces for bicycles will also be funded, as well as "training in the recovery of a confident bike, provided free of charge" . The application decree in the private sector for the implementation of the sustainable mobility package, which can go up to 400 euros, will be made "as quickly as possible", details a press release. In addition, cities and departments plan to set up cycle paths and temporary pedestrian facilities. To support communities in this process, the ministry offers them technical support and the exemption of prior authorizations, "in particular from Architects of Buildings of France" .
"The local investment support endowment fund (DSIL) is mobilized by the prefects to co-finance temporary cycle paths on a case-by-case basis with local authorities that do not have sufficient resources" , specifies the ministry. The government also calls for keeping "the greenways accessible when the conditions for opening up for cyclists are met there" .