Earlier this week, lawmakers in France approved the measure in a preliminary vote. The French Federation of Bicycle Users claims that if France does go ahead with the scheme, it would be the first nation in the world to give people money for old cars to put towards new electric bicycles, Reuters reports.
However, the organization must be leaving out crucial details about how it reached that conclusion as there have been other similar schemes.
For example, Martti Tulenheimo, chief specialist at the Finnish Cyclists‘ Federation, points out that Finland has a similar rebate that citizens have used to fund more than 2,000 bikes, 1,000 new low emission cars, and 100 public transport tickets.
Lithuania also offered such a scheme last year. The nation’s Environmental Project Management Agency (APVA) offered residents €1,000 ($1,200) if they traded in their old cars. The money could then be used against anything from scooters to bikes to public transport tickets.
The scheme was considered a success, with more than 8,500 people applying for the grant.
Maybe France was getting a bit giddy because the air quality isn’t as great as we think. Hopefully, with this new grant, that will change soon enough.
