What if biking was part of the solution to avoid crowds on public transportation starting May 11? This is in any case what the government thinks with the launch of a plan of 20 million euros in favor of the bicycle so that the French recover as much as possible in the saddle at the time of deconfinement, at the expense of the car, buses, and other subways. This envelope will be used to create specific parking spaces, to provide training, but also to finance up to 50 euros for the repair of the old bicycle lying around in your cellar.
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30 million bikes in France
A measure that pleases Olivier Schneider, the president of the Federation of bicycle users, with whom the government has drawn up this idea of the bicycle repair check. "These 50 euros will help to restore a good part of the 30 million bikes on the roads," he said at the microphone of Europe 1. But also "ensure that the French can circulate without have the risk of catching Covid-19 in public transport, and without polluting. "
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"The little queen of deconfinement"
And to be ready to get in the saddle, a list of more than 3,000 professionals and associations will be listed on a specific platform which will be put online in the coming days. It will then be enough to bring your bike to the workshop, and if the invoice does not exceed 50 euros, there is no need to open your wallet. The state will then reimburse the repairer.
"Of course, the bicycle will not be able to replace everything, but it allows construction to respect safety gestures. And it can be a real transport solution when 60% of journeys made in France in normal times are less than 5 km ", advances to Parisian Elisabeth Borne. And the Minister for the Ecological Transition does not hide her ambitions: "We want the bicycle to be somehow the little queen of deconfinement".