Bike to be ‘little queen of deconfinement’ in France

The French government has announced a €20 million scheme designed to encourage people to use their bicycles as the country emerges from lockdown.
By Adam Hill May 4, 2020 Read time: 1 min
France hails 'little queen of deconfinement' (© Rosshelen | Dreamstime.com)

People will be eligible to receive €50 which will be put towards bike repairs after strict lockdown measures are relaxed on 11 May.

Environment minister Elisabeth Borne said the government wanted this period to be a step forward in bike culture, with the bicycle becoming “the little queen of deconfinement”.

As well as offering financial incentives to individuals, the €20m will also be used for increasing space on roads for bikes and in cycling training. 

The idea is to give people alternatives to car use and public transport - measures which should ease demand on metros and buses while keeping crowded roads freer of vehicles.

The government wants to increase the public transport offering as much as possible and then “drastically reduce demand during peak hours”, Borne said.

Air Quality & Weather Systems

Related Content

  • Ertico weaves tunnel visions into the ‘big picture’
    April 7, 2017
    As he takes the wheel at Ertico - ITS Europe, Jacob Bangsgaard talks to ITS International about the challenges and opportunities facing the organisation and the ITS industry. Ertico - ITS Europe’s new CEO, Jacob Bangsgaard, is no stranger to the organisation having spent five years there before moving to the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) in 2006. Four years later he became director general of the FIA’s Region I (EMEA), which represents more than 100 mobility clubs, and in 2012 he joined Er
    Read More
  • Authorities look to MaaS for new solutions and cost savings
    July 18, 2017
    The structure of society and the way in which our cities work will be completely transformed by Mobility as a Service (MaaS), Finland’s minister of transport and communications Anne Berner, told ITS International’s recent MaaS Market conference 2017 in London. In her keynote address, Berner told a packed audience of more than 200 ITS professionals that MaaS has the potential to help governments around the world meet their big city targets such as the rate of employment, the environment, the efficient use of
    Read More
  • Car-free zones part of London 'reimagining'
    May 18, 2020
    Parts of central London will become “one of the largest car-free zones in any capital city in the world”, according to the city’s mayor Sadiq Khan.
    Read More
  • Congestion pricing: the time to act is now
    August 20, 2024
    New York may have thrown a curveball on congestion pricing, but it is a proven global strategy for traffic management which cities should adopt, argues Wes Guckert of The Traffic Group
    Read More

Highlighted Content