Cycle-friendly employers and cycle commuting (Cycling UK views)

Headline message 

• Encouraging staff to cycle to work and for business journeys helps improve staff health and can boost productivity. It can also reduce a company’s transport costs.
• Workplaces that promote cycling successfully help mitigate their negative impact on the local and wider environment.
• If employees are encouraged to cycle rather than drive, congestion is less severe at peak times, which is good for business and the economy.

 Policy key facts

• The 2011 Census found that 741,000 working residents in England and Wales aged 16 to 74 cycled to work - 90,000 more than in 2001. Over those ten years, however, the proportion of working residents who commuted by bike struggled to rise above 2.8%.
• Together, commuting (i.e. travel to/from work) and business travel (i.e. travel as part of work) make up almost a quarter of all weekday trips in England (19% & 4% respectively).
• In 2016 (England), two-fifths of cycle trips were for commuting/business purposes; one-fifth of car/van trips (as driver or passenger) were for commuting/business purposes.
• In Scotland (2014-15), over 5% of people commuted at least regularly in 15 of 32 local authorities, the highest being Edinburgh City at 14.2%.
• The number of people living in London who cycled to work more than doubled in ten years from 77,000 in 2001 to 155,000 in 2011. In Cambridge, 29% of working residents cycle to work - more than anywhere else - but for 29 other local authorities, this figure is 1%.
• On average, employees who cycle-commute take at least one day p.a. less off sick than colleagues who do not cycle to work, while car commuters are at least 13% more likely to feel constantly under strain or unable to concentrate than those who cycle/walk to work.

Cycling UK view 

• Employers should recognise the health, environmental and economic benefits of promoting the use of cycles for commuting and work purposes.
• Actions that employers should take include:
  • making cycling an integral part of a Travel Plan
  • paying the full, tax-free cycle mileage rate
  • subscribing to other tax incentives (e.g. the Cycle to Work scheme)
  • incentivising cycling through workplace challenges, events etc.
  • providing good quality facilities (e.g. cycle parking, showers and lockers
  • supporting a bicycle users group (BUG)
  • supplying ‘pool’ bikes 
• Employers should not be discouraged from promoting cycling because of liability fears, neither should they make cycle training or wearing a cycle helmet a prerequisite for cycling on business.

See also Cycling UK's guide to becoming a cycle-friendly employer.​

2018-03-07 00:00:00 Europe/London

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