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Key questions answered on £50 bike repair vouchers
Cyclists will soon be able to apply for vouchers towards the cost of repairing a bike.
Here are 10 key questions about the government’s Fix Your Bike scheme.
What is it?
As part of measures to encourage cycling during the coronavirus pandemic, the government is offering people in England £50 vouchers to be used towards repair costs.
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How do I get a voucher?
People can apply for a voucher on a first-come first-served basis on the Fix Your Bike website from 11.45pm on Tuesday.
Weren’t they supposed to be available sooner?
The £25m scheme is part of a £2bn investment in active travel announced in February.
The vouchers were initially due to be available in June, but the Department for Transport said they would only be made available once maintenance shops could handle the expected spike in demand.
Once I’ve got hold of a voucher, how do I use it?
Find a repair shop participating in the scheme and book your bike in for a check-up.
We’re excited to be partnering with @transportgovuk for the Fix Your Bike Government Voucher Scheme. Residents in England will be able to apply for a FREE £50 bike repair voucher which can be used to get your bike back out on the #road again 🚴 50,000 Gov vouchers from 11:45pm!
— Halfords (@Halfords_uk) July 28, 2020
What do the vouchers cover?
They can be used towards the cost of making a bike safe for use on public roads.
Upgrading roadworthy parts or buying removable accessories such as lights or helmets is not included.
What will £50 get me?
The voucher will normally cover the cost of a standard service and replacement of a basic component such as an inner tube or cable.
What happens if my bike needs several or more expensive new parts?
Cyclists will need to cover costs in excess of £50.
Is there a limit on how many vouchers one person can get?
Vouchers are capped at two per household and they must be used on different bikes.
How popular will they be?
The government says it is releasing vouchers in batches to help manage capacity at cycle shops which have seen “overwhelming demand” for their services during the Covid-19 crisis.
One participating retailer, Halfords, says it has thousands of slots for people to have their bikes inspected.
Is the total number of vouchers capped?
Up to half a million vouchers will be released, but the initial batch is limited to 50,000.
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Oh. So now, not only with getting away with paying no road tax, they also get a free MOT and repairs.
As for “making bikes safer for road use”, that’s all well and good but the safest bike in the world is still an accident waiting to happen if it’s ridden by a muppet or a two-wheel road hog.
This should encourage people to take up cycling again if they’re not confident to do bike repairs themselves.
Outside the box, what about a scheme (as in Scandinavia) whereby cyclists are paid a few pennies per mile to cycle to work instead of using their cars? Could avoid the London congestion zone too if the car was parked a few miles away.