The government has officially launched it’s Fix your Bike Voucher Scheme to the public, but the demand was so high applications have already been suspended.
Registration for the £50 repair voucher opened at 11.45pm on Tuesday (July 28), as the public were finally able to register to claim their discount.
The scheme proved hugely popular, as the website crashed shortly after the project launched.
According to the BBC, many people complained of receiving error messages when thy tried to access the Energy Saving Trust website.
The site was back up any running by 4am, but applications have now been paused as the first batch of 50,000 vouchers had all been taken.
A message on the scheme’s website now says: “Thank you for your interest in the Fix Your Bike Voucher Scheme. There are no vouchers available right now. Vouchers are being released gradually to reflect the capacity of the bike repairers signed up to the scheme. More vouchers will be made available as soon as possible.
Bike repair businesses have registered to take part in the scheme if they meet the eligibility requirements (including holding £2 million public liability insurance).
Evans Cycles and Halfords have both confirmed they are taking part in the scheme.
To claim your voucher, you can visit the Fix Your Bike scheme website here to register for a code. You can then take your bike into a registered by shop to claim your £50 discount on a service.
Evans says the cost of their Road Ready Service is £35, with the remainder of the voucher being put towards additional parts or repairs.
Halfords customers can visit the Halfords website to book their bike maintenance slot, either before or after they have registered for their voucher.
>>> Half a million £50 bike vouchers: How to claim your bicycle repair discount and how bike shops can register
The scheme is just one of a number of measures the government has introduced to bring about “a golden age of cycling.”
On Monday Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced plans for a 'cycling revolution'.
The government will invest £2 billion in the hopes of getting more people on bikes as the UK comes out of coronavirus lockdown.
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