Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond's Autumn Statement has confirmed that the Cycle To Work scheme will not be axed among other moves to cut back on employee tax breaks.
The Cycle To Work scheme was introduced by the British government in 1999 as part of the Finance Act to encourage employees to commute to work by bike, promoting health, fitness and reducing pollution. Under the popular scheme, companies can loan employees a bike as a tax-free benefit.
According to figures published by the Cycle To Work Alliance, over 1.1 million people have participated in the scheme since it was introduced.
>>> Cycle To Work scheme: 10 things to know
Hammond also announced the availability of £1.1 billion to upgrade local roads, which cycling campaigners are urging the government to partially use to ensure that there is adequate infrastructure for cycling.
Paul Tuohy, CEO of national cycling organisation Cycling UK, said: "Local roads are what everyone uses most regularly, but they are so often overlooked when it comes to public spending in place of big budget projects like motorways or A-roads.
"The chancellor’s pledge of ￡1.1bn to upgrade our local roads is a real opportunity for councils to tackle not just congestion, but also the health issues caused by dire air quality and physical inactivity.
"Local authorities must use these new local road funds to make Space for Cycling at the same time. This would be a cost efficient use of new money that will benefit all road users and the local community."
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