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2 May 2025

Could the UK cycling industry be showing signs of renewed momentum? Following a challenging period marked by falling sales and overstocked inventories, overall trends and sales figures from...

2 May 2025

The Netherlands is set to legalise electric scooters and other light electric vehicles on public roads from July 2025, provided they are registered and display a license plate.

30 Apr 2025

The ACT has welcomed the announcement of a parliamentary inquiry into e-bike products not meeting safety regulations, which has been launched “in context of dangerous low-quality e-bike...

29 Apr 2025

Edinburgh has been named the UK’s top city for bike commuting, with 10.00% of its workforce choosing to cycle to work, according to new research.

28 Apr 2025

The Labour Government’s new Employment Rights Bill is set to be in force this year and the new regulations will impact high street retailers up and down the country.

25 Apr 2025

ACT parent company Bira welcomes the Chancellor's announcement of plans to create a level playing field for British businesses against unfair international trade practices.

15 Apr 2025

Retail Crime Remains Alarming - Bira's Latest Survey Reveals Urgent Need for Action

11 Apr 2025

Bira has cautiously welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement this week on plans to put 'thousands of Bobbies back on the Beat' with a new neighbourhood policing guarantee.

11 Apr 2025

Cycling UK has called for greater, targeted investment in cycling infrastructure across the UK to help more women feel safe and confident to cycle, with the charity urging Government to commit...

10 Apr 2025

Graeme Stickells, Head Trainer at South Africa’s only Cytech training centre Torq Zone Academy, is recovering from a life-threatening hit-and-run incident — and a crowdfunder has...

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Co-chair of the Walking and Cycling Parliamentary Group says Cycle to Work scheme

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News

Fabian Hamilton MP, co-chair of the Walking and Cycling All-Party Parliamentary Group, has said that the Cycle to Work scheme "must be reformed".

Cycle lane

Last week, Mr Hamilton met with ACT representatives and heard the concerns retailers had with the Cycle to Work scheme.

Among these concerns were suggestions that the scheme was overly complicated, inconsistent and out of date. However, the chief concern was the fact that individual bike shops were forced to bear the heavy administrative costs of the scheme, whilst third-party providers made healthy profits.

Now, in a statement published on Global Cycling Network, Mr  Hamilton has stated that he too believes the Cycle to Work scheme needs to be reformed:

"The current schemes must be reformed so that small businesses are able to take part without operating at a loss. The intermediaries, that are often large corporations, are raking in the profits while small cycling manufacturers and shops suffer."

The intermediaries in Cycle to Work schemes are private businesses that facilitate the scheme for employers.

These providers buy bicycles from bike shops on behalf of participants in the scheme, then rent the bikes to the participants. The administrative cost of this transaction is high, and at the moment, it is lumped almost entirely on the individual bike shops.

The scheme might need reform, but Mr Hamilton makes clear that schemes of this kind are a good thing, saying:

"Schemes that promote cycling are vital to public health and tackling the climate emergency."

Indeed, he sees the bicycle industry as a key part of the "new industrial strategy" that the Labour party is campaigning for at the upcoming general election. He concludes by saying:

"Cycling businesses are integral to this [strategy] and we will make it as easy as possible for them to do business in the UK."

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