French cyclists being paid to ride to work

Cyclists in France are being paid to cycle to work in a pilot scheme that hopes to lure people away from making car journeys.

Riders will be paid 25 cents per kilometre travelled. That means a cyclist can earn €50 over a month if they cycle a roundtrip of 10 kilometres each working day.

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19 companies and organisations making up 10,000 workers are part of the trial.

For the trial to be extended feedback from employers and employees will be sought on the changes in the number of commutes by bike; the modes of transport given up in favour of cycling; favourable or unfavourable factors concerning the trial’s effectiveness; and material facilities implemented in different types of organisations.

Britain has a similar initiative with Cycle to Work, while Belgium and Sweden have also introduced methods to increase the number of two-wheeled commutes.