The French authorities decided to financially encourage citizens to abandon the car in favor of an eco-friendly bicycles. Those who refuse “dirty” personal transport will receive a payment of 4,000 euros. However, some conditions must be met for this to happen. Thus, the government hopes to catch up with other countries where bicycles are noticeably more popular and increase the general eco-consciousness of the population.
Citizens living in low-income families can sell their cars and receive full payment of 4,000 euros from the state. It can be spent on buying a regular or electric bike. People from a more prosperous environment are entitled to a less generous subsidy, The Times reports.
According to the plan of the government of French President Emmanuel Macron, Paris will become fully suitable for cycling exclusively — 250 million euros will be invested in adapting the city for two-wheeled transport. In the next five years, 130 kilometers of bike paths should be laid in the capital.
France intends to catch up with other European countries — Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark, which have bypassed it in the prevalence of bicycles. Now cyclists make up only three percent of the French population, and their share will increase to nine percent according to the plan if the measures taken have an effect. For comparison, in the Netherlands, 27 percent of citizens ride bicycles.
Meanwhile, it turned out that most owners of eco-friendly transport are not really too concerned about the state of the environment. As a recent study by Polestar in the USA showed, 55 percent of electric car buyers are attracted by other advantages — image, economy, and power of the power plant.