After a long approval process, the municipal program to support the purchase of city bikes is now available again. In 2021, a total of 340,000 euros will be available to subsidize the purchase of bicycles by residents, workers and students in Lisbon, and now also by associations, parish councils and companies. Repairs will also be supported.
From the 340 thousand euro cake for this year:
- 185,000 are for individualsof which 170,000 went towards the purchase of new bicycles and the remaining 15,000 towards the purchase of accessories such as child seats or repairs to used bicycles;
- 35,000 for non-profit associations;
- 25,000 for sole proprietors;
- 20,000 for local parish councils;
- 75,000 for private companies.
Lisbon City Council still has 85,000 euros for individuals who have bought bicycles by 31 December 2020 and have not yet applied for the program, can do so until the last day of June. There will be 75,000 euros to distribute monthly passes for the GIRA shared bicycle system - and this support will not be launched for the time being. In total, the budget amounts to 500 thousand euros.
For the time being, the municipality will make a contribution:
- non-electric bicycles:
- conventional: 50% worth up to 100 euros;
- load: 50% worth up to 300 euros;
- electric bicycles:
- conventional: 50% worth up to 350 euros;
- load: 50% worth up to 500 euros;
- adapted: 75% worth up to 500 euros;
- repairs and accessories: 50% worth up to 80 euros.
Applications for the municipal program to support the purchase (and now also repair) of bicycles open until the end of this week on this page. Only purchases made in a physical store and at one of the retailers participating in the program are accepted (the list is on the previous link). Purchases of bicycles, accessories or repair services made on or after January 1, 2021 are eligible. The deadline is November 30, 2021 or when the budget allocation is reached.
Lisbon City Council's support accumulate with those of the Government and its Environmental Fund, which is subsidizing the purchase of conventional and cargo bikes - electric and non-electric -; applications can be submitted to here.
How did the program go in 2020?
Despite having an original budget of three million euros, the municipality ended up spending around 600,000 euros, approving a total of 3,305 applications, corresponding to 90% of the applications it received. 66% of the grants were for electric bicycles (conventional, cargo and adapted).
Data from a survey of beneficiaries e traders covered by the program and which have since been revealed by the Councillor for Mobility, Miguel Gaspar, indicate that:
- 92.3% of people bought a bicycle in 2020 because of the municipal contribution;
- 62.1% started using the bicycle as their main means of transportation after the purchase (6.2% already used it but exchanged it for the new one and 31.7% said no);
- 39.4% of the beneficiaries said that the pandemic was also a reason to purchase;
- 54.2% said that they park their bicycle in the garage, storage room or other place inside the building, 41.8% keep it inside the house and only a residual slice leaves it on the street;
- On the traders' side, 55% noted that demand had grown a lot while 45% says it has increased, but only slightly;
- 45% pointed out that the supply of bikes available on the market limited their sales in all ranges, 14% said it did in some and 41% replied that they felt no limitations;
- 23% of traders have hired or plan to hire more employees due to increased demand for bicycles.
According to observations carried out in October last year by the Instituto Superior Técnico, a proportion of electric bicycles circulating in the city increased from 5% (2018) to 17.5% (2020) of private bicycles. Own-use electric bicycles accounted for more than 26% in some parts of Lisbon. "In a city with Lisbon's orographic characteristics, the growing use of electric bicycles is not surprising"say the Técnico researchers.
