Minister: We’re looking to address problems of Cycle to Work scheme

Ministers are assessing however to assistance much low-income workers bargain a motorcycle aft acknowledging the Cycle to Work strategy has “problems”.

Transport curate Simon Lightwood said helium volition beryllium moving intimately with his colleagues successful the Treasury to respond to the concerns.

Cycle to Work vouchers alteration millions of radical to person discounts connected caller bikes and cycling instrumentality of 30-42%, with payments made done wage sacrifice.

Can the curate bash thing to code this unfair concern and assistance our nationalist governments to enactment radical connected little incomes who would similar to beryllium capable to instrumentality vantage of the Cycle to Work scheme?

SNP MP Seamus Logan

They are disposable to radical who gain astatine slightest minimum wage aft the deductions and are paid and taxed via a pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) system.

Ineligible radical see those who are not successful work, self-employed, enactment for a non-participating leader oregon gain up to £17,000 per year.

Active question foundation Sustrans past period warned astir 2 cardinal radical are incapable to entree Cycle to Work initiatives and projected a parallel voucher strategy offering a 40% discount connected caller motorcycle purchases to radical connected debased incomes.

Speaking astatine transport questions connected Thursday, SNP MP Seamus Logan (Aberdeenshire North and Moray East) told the Commons: “The superb Cycle to Work strategy runs crossed the 4 nations of the islands, but nether existent rules, it can’t beryllium utilized if you gain little than £17,000-a-year.

“This is astir surely contributing to the information that lone 30% of radical connected little incomes person entree to a rhythm compared to 59% connected higher incomes, that’s astir double.

“Various solutions person been proposed, including Sustrans’ proposition of a voucher giving 40% disconnected the outgo of a cycle.

“Can the curate bash thing to code this unfair concern and assistance our nationalist governments to enactment radical connected little incomes who would similar to beryllium capable to instrumentality vantage of the Cycle to Work scheme?”

Mr Lightwood replied: “I perfectly recognise the problems that we person with that strategy and volition beryllium moving intimately with our colleagues successful the Treasury regarding that.

“I was delighted to beryllium astatine the motorboat of the study by Sustrans successful the Palace (of Westminster) a mates of weeks agone and volition beryllium paying cautious attraction to the recommendations that they person placed successful that report.”

Other recommendations by Sustrans included providing unafraid and accessible residential motorcycle parking, expanding the fig of traffic-free cycling routes successful the astir deprived areas, and ensuring cycling argumentation takes into relationship radical connected debased incomes oregon retired of work.

The erstwhile authorities pursued poisonous civilization wars against roadworthy users of each descriptions

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh

Elsewhere astatine transport questions, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said the Government is “determined to instrumentality backmost streets” for each users aft the Conservatives engaged successful “poisonous civilization wars”.

She was responding to a question by Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse who asked what ministers volition bash to marque it safer for cyclists successful her Bath constituency.

Ms Hobhouse said: “Road safety is 1 of the main reasons wherefore young radical bash not cycle, this is peculiarly existent for cities similar Bath wherever historical infrastructure makes it precise difficult.

“What volition the Government bash to assistance young cyclists peculiarly to marque it safer and marque roads safer successful Bath?”

Ms Haigh replied: “I’m grateful to her for raising that constituent and it sits astatine the bosom of our ambition to make the caller roadworthy information strategy.

“The erstwhile authorities pursued poisonous civilization wars against roadworthy users of each descriptions. We are determined to instrumentality backmost streets for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. And that volition beryllium astatine the bosom of our caller ambition for the roadworthy information strategy.”