The government has launched a new scheme - open to anyone in England - with a bike in need of repair. The Fix your Bike Voucher Scheme is a new initiative that has been championed by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, to help fix old bikes by offering a £50 bike repair voucher towards the total cost of repairs needed. The scheme hopes to provide an alternative to using public transport, reduce short car journeys and keep more people fitter whilst using a socially distanced form of transport.

The scheme opened just before midnight on 28 July when the first batch of 50,000 vouchers were due to be released. It is expected that up to 500,000 bike vouchers will be available in total. However, there have been issues with the website and vouchers are being rolled out in batches in order to reflect the capacity of the bike repairers signed up to the scheme. If you are interested in requesting a voucher, the sign up page is on the Energy Saving Trust website at https://fixyourbikevoucherscheme.est.org.uk/

Vouchers can only be used with authorised bike repairers or mechanics that are registered for the scheme in England. Up to two vouchers can be claimed per household, but only one used per bike. You will need to have the voucher before going to get your bike repaired.

The government is also moving ahead with plans to encourage alternative ways of travelling such as cycling and walking. This includes the provision of pop-up bike lanes with protected space for cycling, wider pavements, safer junctions, and cycle and bus-only corridors in England as part of a £250 million emergency active travel fund.