Monday 02 March 2020
Following the success of the first e-bike initiative in 2018 which increased rates of active travel and reduced transport-related emissions, another electric bike subsidy is being launched on Saturday 4th April 2020. This initiative focuses on e-trikes and e-cargo bikes - both of which can play a useful role in improving mobility choices. Islanders will be offered a discount on e-trikes up to the purchase value of £2,000 and on e-cargo bikes up to the purchase value of £3,500.
Continuing the private/public initiative between the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure and three participating cycle retailers, this latest scheme will promote the use of electric trikes and electric cargo bikes as alternative modes of transport.
E-trikes are even more accessible than standard e-bikes, offering comfort and stability for people who may have mobility, strength or balance issues. E-trikes can give people who might struggle to ride a two-wheeled bike the opportunity to cycle confidently; others might simply benefit from their ease to ride or their typically generous load-carrying capacity.
E-cargo bikes are most likely to be a viable alternative to car journeys for people making deliveries, picking up the shopping or transporting small children, for example. The electric assist makes it much easier to transport heavier goods or passengers or travel further than on a standard cargo bike.
Although e-trikes and e-cargo bikes in particular are potentially a game-changer in terms of zero-emissions transport, cost is still a major barrier - which is what this initiative aims to overcome.
Participating cycle retailers will offer a 5% discount from the normal on the road price and the States of Guernsey will offer a further 20% subsidy, allowing new owners to benefit from an overall 25% discount.
Evidence shows that e-bikes have the potential to significantly reduce transport-related carbon emissions, pollution and congestion, while increasing levels of physical activity - particularly for women.
Deputy Barry Brehaut, President of the Committeefor the Environment & Infrastructure, said:
"The 2018 initiative helped to kick start the uptake of e-bikes in Guernsey, and the Committee is delighted that since then they have become a much more common sight around the island. The majority of people who ride e-bikes report feeling healthier, fitter and more active as a result, and because the majority of trips replace journeys in bigger vehicles, e-bikes free up space on our roads as well. This initiative is more targeted towards two types of vehicle - e-trikes and e-cargo bikes - that provide more choice to an even wider range of people for an even wider range of uses. We're hoping it will prove just as popular as the 2018 scheme."
Anyone over the age of 14 who lives in Guernsey is eligible to take part. Proof of I.D. is required at the point of sale and customers may only purchase one e-trike or e-cargo bike under the scheme.
Applicants will be required to register for participation at one of the three local cycle retailers and will be asked to take part in two feedback surveys over the course of a twelve-month period. These surveys will build up valuable information on the use of these modes of transport, and will help the Committee to measure the success of this initiative.
More information about the initiative can be found at www.gov.gg/cycling.
