France is looking to contribute up to €50 per person to bicycle repairs after the country lifts its lockdown on May 11, in an innovative effort to encourage cycling and to keep cars off the city roads. The Environment Minister, Elisabeth Borne announced a €20 million plan for bicycle repairs, cycling coaching sessions and temporary bike parking spaces.
A small selection of bikes available at URBAN ELECTRO Rushden
The French government wants to encourage more cycling and to assist in reducing overcrowding on public transport in order to continue practicing social distancing measures. The Minister said the government will accelerate a programme dedicated to allowing employers to cover up to €400 of travel costs for staff who will cycle to work. The government has prepared approximately 300,000 cheques with 50 each for the programme and said they are willing to extend the programme depends upon its success.
Paris, alongside many other cities, are planning to introduce more bike lanes into their infrastructure by using the space dedicated for cars. The city intends to create up to 750 km of new bikes lanes on departmental roads to facilitate commute via cycle around the and outside the capital, notably on e bikes for longer distances.
Paris has approximately 370 km of bike paths and the lanes are expected to increase to 650 km with the temporary measures. Paris will create new bike lanes along busy metro lines 1, 4 and 13. The major east-west thoroughfare, Rue de Rivoli will be reserved for cycling, with only buses, taxis and emergency vehicles allowed on it. The city is also devising plans for more bike connections to the financial district of La Defense on the western side of Paris.