The scheme is aimed at getting unused bikes back on the road. On a visit to Nottingham, Johnson said: “You always could spend more and this is the most ambitious package ever – it’s £2bn.
'Like cycling through history': 220-mile King Alfred’s Way launched, Welsh planners turn down cycle cafe for lack of car parking spaces, English councils backpedal on cycling schemes after Tory backlash, UK folding bike maker Brompton to launch subscription service, Switch from public transport could put 1m more cars on English and Welsh roads, '£1bn pledged' for cycling and walking routes across England, Government will miss its cycling target by a mile. “Things have been improving but there’s still a long way to go.”, Labour’s shadow cycling minister, Kerry McCarthy, said: “Tory ministers have dragged their feet and failed to seize the opportunity this crisis has posed. A map of participating bike shops and mechanics will be available on the Energy Saving Trust website when the scheme launches to the public. 1. The bike owner will find a registered bike mechanic to fix their bike. © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. The bike owner will find a registered bike mechanic to fix their bike. Customers who don’t have a voucher can arrange for their bike to be repaired outside of the scheme (at their own cost) by simply booking a Free Bike … Last modified on Thu 30 Jul 2020 10.53 BST. DfT figures show there has been a surge in the popularity of cycling during the coronavirus outbreak. This means that you can now apply for a £50 voucher to put towards the cost of a repair (terms and conditions apply). The website finally began working at about 4am, though some errors are persisting. The website, fixyourbikevoucherscheme.est.org.uk, was due to go live at 11.45pm on Tuesday. However, initial efforts to access the site returned an “Error 404” message. The £2bn investment, announced in February, also includes thousands of miles of new protected cycle lanes, cycle training, making electric bikes more accessible and creating the UK’s first zero-emission transport city. The bike owner applies for a voucher. A map of participating bike shops and mechanics will be available on the Energy Saving Trust website when the scheme launches to the public. “What we will do is create thousands of miles of protected cycle lanes – I really believe that protected cycle lanes are essential to give people the confidence people need.Many people aren’t very brave or confident cyclists.”. Information about the scheme from the Department of Transport and links to take you to the Energy Saving Trust £50 voucher application can be found here… Apply to become a registered Fix your Bike Voucher Scheme bike repairer or mechanic on the Energy Saving Trust website. All rights reserved. The initiative allows bike owners in England to register for a free voucher for £50 worth of repairs. Compared with the equivalent day in the first week of March, cycling usage nearly doubled over the weekend of 18-19 July. There are no vouchers available right now. Although funding is welcome, cyclists will be rightly concerned about how long it is going to take to actually put these plans into practice.”. Cyclists voice disappointment as website offering repair vouchers crashes after going live, Wed 29 Jul 2020 07.33 BST
Boris Johnson’s ambitious plan to get people in England cycling has got off to a wobbly start, with the website offering bicycle repair vouchers crashing at launch. A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesman said on Wednesday: “The Fix Your Bike voucher scheme website was taken offline by the Energy Saving Trust … Cyclists who want to register for a voucher are directed from the government website to a website run by the Energy Saving Trust.
We’re only accepting bike assessment bookings from customers who have successfully registered for a voucher on the Energy Saving Trust (EST) website. But those trying to register this morning received a message saying: “Thank you for your interest in the Fix Your Bike Voucher Scheme. The bike owner applies for a voucher. A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesman said on Wednesday: “The Fix Your Bike voucher scheme website was taken offline by the Energy Saving Trust this morning following high levels of interest. They bring their bike in to be fixed, using the voucher towards the cost. The volume of complaints was such that the hashtag #FixYourBikeVoucherScheme became the number one trend on Twitter in the UK within 90 minutes of the site’s scheduled launch. Monday 20 July – the most recent weekday for which data is available – showed cycling at 146% of pre-lockdown levels. They bring their bike in to be fixed, using the voucher towards the cost. Vouchers are being released gradually to reflect the capacity of cycle repairers signed up to the scheme and more will be available soon.”. The scope of the problem quickly became evident as cyclists expressed their disappointment on social media. It's time to invest. Other measures include strengthening the highway code, improving legal protections, increasing lorry safety standards and working with the police and retailers to tackle bike thefts. He added: “What I also want to see is more work done to get motorists to understand that we are all going to be sharing the roads, going to be sharing it with cyclists, so be respectful, be courteous. • The headline and text of this article were amended on 29 July 2020 to clarify that the scheme covers England only, not the entire UK, Available for everyone, funded by readers, Loop starts in Winchester and takes in tree-lined lanes, open plains and plenty of pubs, Petition launched to support former BA steward who wants to open Torfaen business, ‘Cycling revolution’ at risk as local Conservatives lobby to remove funded cycle routes, Customers can hire bikes on monthly or annual basis after bike demand rises during pandemic. As part of the prime minister’s £2bn scheme to boost active travel, the UK government has made 50,000 “fix your bike” vouchers available in England to be used for standard servicing and replacing components. The vouchers were initially due to be available in June, but the Department for Transport (DfT) said last month they would be released only once maintenance shops could handle the expected increase in demand. How the scheme works.