Cycle To Work Scheme.

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Drakon

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I think it’s time to get rid of the “cycle to work” scheme. Or, at the least, replace it with some other cycling incentive.
The fewer people that commute to work, whether by foot, bike, car or public transport, the better. To continue this incentive is mixed messaging.
#StayAtHome
 
Why is better if fewer people commute to work by foot or bike? I don't agree with this at all. In the longer term, it will be important for people to get back out working in offices at lease some of the week. Staying at home full time is not necessarily in everyone's best interests.

In the long term, the cycle to work scheme will remain a good incentive for people to ditch their cars for the commute. Particularly as cycling infrastructure continues to improve.
 
For many reasons.....mental health....their career prospects....social factors. Everyone's situation is different of course. But in my view, if you work for an office based company and you're at home full time while others are working in the office, it will have a negative affect on both your relationships with your colleagues and your career prospects within that company.
 
Drakon said:
I think it’s time to get rid of the “cycle to work” scheme. Or, at the least, replace it with some other cycling incentive.
The fewer people that commute to work, whether by foot, bike, car or public transport, the better. To continue this incentive is mixed messaging.
#StayAtHome
Click to expand...

What a crazy suggestion. You want to disincentivise people cycling to work?
Nuts.
 
1. (a) In my 3rd last year before retiring I availed of the cycle-to-work scheme and bought a basic bike. I drove all ours mad suggesting they should do the same. We had three good bikes in the shed that the kids used to use back in the day. I restored the bikes to all their glory working on them myself with skills I had learnt over the years. I bought a "universal" 2nd hand bike rack for the car. There's rarely a month passes that we don't head off to some greenway for the day or weekend con familia y los chicos.
(b) My cycling is confined to greenways and cycle lanes as much as possible. I wouldn't risk the country roads anywhere. Paddy-the-Motorist is not yet ready for the cyclists and is a danger not only to himself but everyone else.
2. The scheme is good and should be kept although recently I bought another bike which had been largely unused on DoneDeal (which had originally been bought in the cycle-to-work scheme). I recommend the scheme (although called Cycle-to-Work) should now be extended to retirees. Now there's a good suggestion for some pro-active manager or even some trade union branch.
 
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[QUOTE="PolkaDot, post:
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I wfh and i love it. No commute, more time with family, more productive, more time to exercise, saving money on lunch amd coffee. People should have the choice. I dont think its at all corrext to say that "its important that people get back to the office". Its important that people have the choice to decide what best for themselves, their mental health, their career, their social needs. Long live wfh!
But if going bk to office....cycling is best....
 
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The cycle to work scheme is not an incentive to go into the office when you shouldn’t .
Not everyone can WFH, and It’s inevitable that most of us who are working from home at the moment will end up back the office part time or full time at some stage.
Cycling is a great way to commute to work and should be encouraged .
 
The Cycle To Work scheme was a fantastic incentive when it was introduced. I worked in Dublin at the time. My bike had been stolen a month before CTW was introduced, and I was the second person in my workplace to sign up.
It wasn’t perfect, of course. It was widely abused and cycle stores were compliant to that abuse.
There were MAMILs from Kildare who signed up. A friend bought two kids bikes for Christmas under the scheme.

However, despite being a great incentive it’s a throwback to a bygone era. Back then, telecommuting was a rarity. Most that did it only did it one day a week.

Things have changed. Take Pinterest. When this pandemic is over their employees will work in the office one day a week.

The CTW scheme should be replaced with something not commuter orientated. And anecdotally new bicycles are difficult to get at the moment. The pandemic has led to reduced production. And the lockdown has led to increased demand.

Where to divert the money instead?
Maybe more secure bike racks in towns and cities.
Better planning of cycle lanes? Or better planning of road junctions, keeping a focus on cyclist safety. Or funding schools to have cycle classes for the children.

I realise Ireland is a largely conservative country. Just like there was a majority opposed to the CTW scheme when it was introduced, there would be a minority opposed to removing it. That’s the way we are!

I’m not suggesting we abolish CTW and send that ring-fenced money back into the government coffers.
Just accept the new reality and replace CTW with something more fitting for the pandemic and post-pandemic future.

Anybody that was interested in the CRW scheme has probably taken it up by now.
 
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Let's not make a Sacred Cow of CTW scheme. It worked and even got people exercising. I recommend the scheme should be extended. I don't care if anybody gets a good deal for their grandchildren or whatever; don't get in the way of something that is working.
 
PolkaDot said:
Why is better if fewer people commute to work ...
Click to expand...

80% of Coronavirus transmission is person-to-person. The less people interact while we “live with the virus”, fewer people will contract the virus. The fewer people commute to the workplace the less the virus will spread.
The CMO re-iterated this yesterday.
People need to listen, to telecommute, to stay away from their workplaces if at all possible.
 
Drakon said:
I think it’s time to get rid of the “cycle to work” scheme. Or, at the least, replace it with some other cycling incentive.
The fewer people that commute to work, whether by foot, bike, car or public transport, the better. To continue this incentive is mixed messaging.
#StayAtHome
Click to expand...

I agree it should be replaced, but for different reasons. I know of a few people who use this scheme, bought a new bike, get tax back, and the bike sits in the shed mostly, or they certainly do not use it for work.
I would rather see a system where the cost of bicycle repairs, servicing, upgrading etc was deductable against income tax.
 
Drakon said:
80% of Coronavirus transmission is person-to-person. The less people interact while we “live with the virus”, fewer people will contract the virus. The fewer people commute to the workplace the less the virus will spread.
The CMO re-iterated this yesterday.
People need to listen, to telecommute, to stay away from their workplaces if at all possible.
Click to expand...

I was asking the question in the context of the longer term. It would be silly to argue to scrap the scheme on the basis that we have this (hopefully) temporary period where we're working for home due to a pandemic.
 
ArthurMcB said:
I wfh and i love it. No commute, more time with family, more productive, more time to exercise, saving money on lunch amd coffee. People should have the choice. I dont think its at all corrext to say that "its important that people get back to the office". Its important that people have the choice to decide what best for themselves, their mental health, their career, their social needs. Long live wfh!
But if going bk to office....cycling is best....
Click to expand...

Every Euro saved wfh is a euro lost from the economy. In the long term the Government will need to make changes to restrike the balance whether that results in increases in taxes or other measures. So, in the short term make hay while the sun shines.

My opinion is that it is too soon to remove a cycle to work scheme when there is uncertainty around future working arrangements. However, given that increased funding for cycling infrastructure perhaps they need to consider a family-based cycling scheme? Or as Leper mentioned for retirees. Perhaps also a tax deduction for cycle scheme memberships such as Dublin Bikes.
 
Best thing you can do to promote cycling (health) and safer cycling, reduce pollution and congestion, is get more (new) people cycling.

I suspect there has big fall off in the numbers using C2W so it will be self leveling in the that regard.

In terms of avoiding public transport, and sharing bicycles, isn't getting your own bicycle a good way to avoid that?
 
Dublinbay12 said:
Every Euro saved wfh is a euro lost from the economy
Click to expand...
How? Surely money is being spent elsewhere on other things.im not poorer or richer from wfh...instead of buying overpriced coffee and sambos, my local grocery store is getting the benefit, for example.
 
Drakon said:
I think it’s time to get rid of the “cycle to work” scheme. Or, at the least, replace it with some other cycling incentive.
The fewer people that commute to work, whether by foot, bike, car or public transport, the better. To continue this incentive is mixed messaging.
#StayAtHome
Click to expand...
With respect that's a very middle class suburban perspective. Most people don't work in offices and have to be in work to work.
I agree with Leper and AlbacoreA, anything we can do to encourage cycling we should do. It's a win-win with older people; either it will keep them healthier and so reduce the burden on the health service or it will kill them and reduce the burden on the health service. :D
 
ArthurMcB said:
How? Surely money is being spent elsewhere on other things.im not poorer or richer from wfh...instead of buying overpriced coffee and sambos, my local grocery store is getting the benefit, for example.
Click to expand...
In fairness the overall spend in the economy had been reduced significantly.
In the longer term city centres may become places to live again, which would be great.
 
I used to cycle to work a few times a week. Had stopped a about a 2 years ago. Before the lockdown I had stopped using the train and had planned to get an eBike to replace the car and train. My old bike being worn out and no longer suitable. But I will get a bike to cycle to work for the odd day I have to be in. We did have parking at work, but I can see that being heavily reduced if fewer people are in the office everyday.
 
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