FEATURE


BikeBiz speaks to Chris Last of the Cycle to Work Alliance to discuss the impact of Cycle to Work and what the future holds


25 YEARS OF C2W T


his year marks the 25th anniversary of the Cycle to Work scheme. First introduced in the 1999 Finance Act, the


scheme was designed to encourage employers to loan bicycles and cycling safety equipment to employees as a tax-exempt benefit for the purpose of cycling to work. The exemption was one of a series of measures introduced under the Government’s Green Transport Plan. But after a quarter of a century, what has been its impact on the sector? And where does it go now? With that in mind, BikeBiz caught up with Chris Last, chair of the Cycle to Work Alliance. The Cycle to Work Alliance, founded in 2010, is a policy coalition of five of the leading providers of the Cycle to Work scheme – Halfords, Evans, Vivup, Cyclescheme and Cycle Solutions – representing around 80% of the Cycle to Work scheme market.


26 | July 2024


On 25th anniversary “Firstly, we should note that 25 years is a long time,” explains Last.


“In the last 10 years, two million bikes have gone through [the scheme], which I think is huge, and that drives an impetus to cycling generally and enables more people to get on bikes.”


The biggest barrier removed for consumers who use the scheme is, of course, cost, with savings up to 50% available, depending on the provider. “It’s not easy to just go and buy a bike, particularly if you’re a lower earner,” adds Last. “You might not qualify for low cost finance, which we see across other benefits like common technology, and home electronics.


“The scheme allows people to pay for a bike monthly and spread that cost. Maybe they can get a slightly better bike


www.bikebiz.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68