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news
Dutch Cycle Parking (AirBete, Wikimedia Commons)No longer a cycling paradise? Dutch government cancels popular cycle to work scheme
The Dutch government has ended a tax free cycle to work scheme, amid protests from bike shops.
Around 200,000 bicycles are bought in Holland each year under the scheme which allows employees a new tax free ride costing up to 749 Euros every three years.
One in four Dutch workers commutes to work by bike.
There will now be a new scheme in which company bikes will be tax deductible up to 1.2 per cent of gross salary - but the total also includes other work-related perks including Christmas hampers and company outings.
A finance ministry spokesman told the Volkskrant newspaper that the cabinet is continuing to promote the use of company bikes but that the new system will give employers greater flexibility to decide what to buy for their staff.
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7 comments
The scheme in the UK has had two policy changes since 2010 which have reduced the benefit of the scheme in the UK. It's in a place now which still benefits some, but mainly those who spend less than £500 on a bike and intend to keep the bike for 3-6 years. But if you use a bike every day and spend £1000, you had better hope your employer allowed you to defer your final payment, as to pay your final value fee after 12%, the savings are barely anything at all.
"I see few new bikes in Amsterdam"
When my brother moved to the NL their new Dutch bikes were stolen almost instantly.
When they reported it to the police, they were told to steal someone else's.
They bought some battered second hand ones & haven't had any trouble after that.
I've returned from Amsterdam weekend and can concur that most were old and seemingly past it. THe only new ones were being ridden and possibly kept at the employees work premises.
I was gobsmacked at the amount of bikes there plus the infrastructure and facilities provided and how cheap public transport is once you have locked the bike up in one of the multi-storey bike racks.
Most of the bikes are single speed or maybe a hub geared bike and around €500 or less in the shops, so that's peanuts to pay every 3 years.
Saying that, I saw almost as many bikes that looked as though they were abandoned with flat tyres, buckled wheels, missing parts etc so perhaps the system of a new bike every 3 years is being abused, which makes perfect sense if they want to put a halt to things.
I have Dutch cargo bike which is 7 months old and it's pretty fucked already, given its everyday value to me if I replace it in three years then that not be so bad. There comes a point where it makes more sense to replace a bike than continue to maintain it, if it's your main transport then 750 Euros every 3 years doesn't seem that unreasonable. That said I see few new bikes in Amsterdam.
How/why? I've never ridden or owned one but that seems pretty extreme.
Your sublead suggests that Dutch employees aren't happy but doesn't quote anyone. Is this supposition or substantiable? Other than pure greed, I'd like to meet the commuter that really needed a new bike every 3 years.
I think I might just cope with CtW going if the government prioritised cycling and treated us as equals in road planning like they do in NL...