France’s commuters are urged by the government to get on their bikes when Coronavirus lockdown ends.

France’s commuters are urged by the government to get on their bikes when Coronavirus lockdown ends

FRANCE’S government wants people to ditch their cars and use their bicycles for commuting when the Coronavirus lockdown ends. The initiative by the energy and transport ministry includes developing temporary bike lanes and a €20 million subsidy towards the cost of repairs. The plan also includes an increase in bicycle parking spaces and training to get people back in the saddle.

“While 60 per cent of trips made in France are less than 5km, the coming weeks represent an opportunity for many French people, already cyclists or not, to choose biking,” said minister Elisabeth Borne.

The ‘bicycle repair boost’ programme will provide up to €50 for repairs by sponsored mechanics. The plan will also support a programme which allows employers to cover up to €400 of travel costs of staff who commute by bike.

Paris currently has about 370km of bike paths and the temporary lanes are expected to increase that to 650km.

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Damon Mitchell

From the interviewed to the interviewer

As frontman of a rock band Damon used to court the British press, now he lives the quiet life in Spain and seeks to get to the heart of the community, scoring exclusive interviews with ex-pats about their successes and struggles during their new life in the sun.

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