Cycle to Work scheme - Bike Parking ?

Slipknotjonny

I am due to present the case for providing access to one of the cycle to work schemes to my employers.

Their main area of concern regarding the scheme is that they can not provide anywhere to park cycles at work.

Therefore, I would like to be able to present them with some evidence that the inability to provide cycle parking should not be a bar to adopting the scheme.

I would be very grateful if those, whose employers are providing the scheme, can let me know if their employers are providing cycle parking facilities also, especially those in Centtral London.

I work in Mayfair and have counted something in the region of 30 bike stands within a 1 minute walk of the premises. I suspect that the uptake of the scheme would be fairly low in any event.

The employer currently provides interest free season ticket loans; this is possibly a simplistic view, but the provision of a season ticket loan does not guarantee a seat on the train, or that the train will run or indeed that one will be safe whilst using the train - a reasonable analogy or not ?

I would be really grateful for your help with this.

Thanks

SJ

biondino

Technically they own the bike and they may well feel that it's simply not safe enough to park it at a bike stand. The season ticket analogy falls down because the trains aren't suddenly going to disappear and if you lose or have stolen your season ticket, you can get a replacement.

My (central London) company has bike parking on racks in an underground garage with a gate - it's not foolproof (easy enough for a thief to slip in when the gates are opened by another user) but it's a lot more secure, has CCTV etc.

teulk

Although i have rode my bike to work outside of work time (trial run) i have never rode to work in work time as its not the safest route to cycle. I do however go out 3-4 times a week for rides. So its not as if i dont use it.

downfader

Slipknotjonny wrote:

I am due to present the case for providing access to one of the cycle to work schemes to my employers.

Their main area of concern regarding the scheme is that they can not provide anywhere to park cycles at work.

Therefore, I would like to be able to present them with some evidence that the inability to provide cycle parking should not be a bar to adopting the scheme.

I would be very grateful if those, whose employers are providing the scheme, can let me know if their employers are providing cycle parking facilities also, especially those in Centtral London.

I work in Mayfair and have counted something in the region of 30 bike stands within a 1 minute walk of the premises. I suspect that the uptake of the scheme would be fairly low in any event.

The employer currently provides interest free season ticket loans; this is possibly a simplistic view, but the provision of a season ticket loan does not guarantee a seat on the train, or that the train will run or indeed that one will be safe whilst using the train - a reasonable analogy or not ?

I would be really grateful for your help with this.

Thanks

SJ

Our local hospitals offered a C2W scheme, they also told those within a catchment area of 2 miles that they could no longer drive to work. This freed up valuable space which would have once been filled with about 8 cars and is now a cycle cage filled with about 20 bikes. Your employer may like to think about that.

Cycles also show the public that the company cares for the environment. Its good public relations to show how "green" you are even if its not entirely true of those that have cycled.

Slipknotjonny

Unfortunately we have nowhere to put any cycle parking, the company has no external grounds, and there is no prospect of anything being provided inside due to space and the natture of the business.

biondino

teulk wrote:

Although i have rode my bike to work outside of work time (trial run) i have never rode to work in work time as its not the safest route to cycle. I do however go out 3-4 times a week for rides. So its not as if i dont use it.

Did you get your bike through C2W, teulk? Cos the reason it's a tax break is because, theoretically, you commute on it at least 1/2 the time (or 50% of your journeys should be to work, or something?) So if the company have reason to believe commuting will be tricky then they may actually be protecting themselves from an investigation from the taxman.

Also, if the route you would ride to work is unsafe, is there no way you can design a safer one, even if it's a bit longer? Obviously this isn't always possible but I hope you've had a go.

biondino

Jonny, have you asked work how they'd feel about you getting a folding bike? Even if you don't want one, it might establish that they can't really use the lack of parking as an excuse for not running the scheme.

Slipknotjonny

The thought of me on a folder is making me shudder

It is a good point that you make, it would certainly draw them out and test their resolve on the parking issue.

I will keep that one up my sleeve, just in case.

toshmund

Would it be worth getting in touch with the local borough council, explaining your scenario? I doubt there is much free real estate in Mayfair (how much is it per m2 nowadays?) If they got enough enquiries, they might be able to provide/look into some scheme/premises. Unless they actually want congestion charge money. Be good public relations for them, being proactive and all of the rest.

Would be a good venture for an entrepreneur really. Somekind of monthly subscription scheme, where you have a secure area to leave the bike, someone on hand who could sort any mechanical problems out during the day and a cafe facility. Weekend rides, socials, deals with relevent companies. Would be Mayfair's answer to "Pete's eats". The climbers cafe in Llanberis.

I did see someone had put up a question about if anyone had heard of any "Shower only gym memberships" - this would be a good scenario to run alongside. If you have any local gyms in the area. Ask if you could leave your bike with them for some kind of fee.

If you are 10 Para, a foldie would be right up your street! lol. Many apologies if you are not a S.T.A.B....

Slipknotjonny

Tosh'

Thanks for the idea.

I quite agree, had I been a proud member of 10 Para I may well have been up for a folder.

As it is, my fat, ex 2 Para butt is quite happy on the De Rosa thank you very much

teulk

biondino wrote:

Did you get your bike through C2W, teulk? Cos the reason it's a tax break is because, theoretically, you commute on it at least 1/2 the time (or 50% of your journeys should be to work, or something?) So if the company have reason to believe commuting will be tricky then they may actually be protecting themselves from an investigation from the taxman.

Also, if the route you would ride to work is unsafe, is there no way you can design a safer one, even if it's a bit longer? Obviously this isn't always possible but I hope you've had a go.

Yeah i did get the bike through C2W. I know that it is supposed to be used for at least a partial commute to work..........i got the bike back in april so ive had it around 5 months and in that five months ive cycle almost 1000miles and completed a 55 mile charity ride. Ok i know that i havent used it as i should have ie riding to work but in that 5 months i have lost weight, became fitter and a happier employee ! The most direct route to work is 9miles for me straight along a motorway the indirect route is at least twice that (40mile comute). I work shifts so if i was to cycle i would have to set off at around 04:30 (for a 7am start) also after finishing at night (10pm) it would be gone midnight before i got to bed. Ok so these may be viewed as excuses for not cycling to work but at least i use my bike. Next year im looking at getting a more expensive and better bike to enable me to do the coast2coast and more charity rides. The way i look at it im getting fit, im raising money (which the company match the donations) so its all got to be good for the company...........

biondino

I'm sure it is but let's hope they don't get audited I can see why you don't ride to work, though, fair enough.

teulk

biondino wrote:

I'm sure it is but let's hope they don't get audited I can see why you don't ride to work, though, fair enough.

How can they prove that i havent used my bike to ride to work ? i mean you cant ride every single day can you as the weather can sometimes put a stop to that.

danseur

How can they prove that i havent used my bike to ride to work ? i mean you cant ride every single day can you as the weather can sometimes put a stop to that.

Let's hope your boss doesn't read this site!

teulk

I bet the vast majority of people who get a bike through C2W dont use it to commute to work on - let alone even use it after a few months.

biondino

I reckon a lot of people don't but most people who become aware of the scheme will do so because they're casual or non-cyclists* who figure out the benefits of actual commuting, so it's probably not abused as much as you think. And the taxman isn't dumb - if your company were audited they'd figure out the issues you've mentioned pretty quickly and need to see some evidence... :twisted:

*bear in mind the vast majority of cyclists aren't passionate lycra-clad enthusiasts like us!

teulk

The problem i see with enforcing that the bike must be used to commute to work is that your limiting who can have a bike on the scheme. We have people who live 30 - 40 miles away from the office and there is no way they would cycle to work. Howerer some of them may see the scheme as a good oportunity to get a bike and get into cycling. Surely the scheme has to be open to all emplyees regardless of how far they live from the office.

Specialized Needs

teulk wrote:

The problem i see with enforcing that the bike must be used to commute to work is that your limiting who can have a bike on the scheme. We have people who live 30 - 40 miles away from the office and there is no way they would cycle to work. Howerer some of them may see the scheme as a good oportunity to get a bike and get into cycling. Surely the scheme has to be open to all emplyees regardless of how far they live from the office.

Is it not open to staff to use the bike for part of the journey? I seem to recall that the terms of the scheme are somewhat ambiguous. "50%". But is this 50% of the total journey, number of trips, number of (possibly part-) commutes? Certainly some at my work bring in Bromptons (using it for 2 miles out of a 30+ mile commute, the rest being by train), one uses it only at the 'home' end of a train commute. Personally, my wife and I drive (8 miles) to a mutually closer point and cycle the rest of the way (11 miles for her, 16 for me) instead of train.

Whilst I applaud the support you say you give to good causes and your good health, this will hold no sway with HMRC should they find out. The scheme is for a specific situation (and I believe there are, as I have outlined above, loopholes that can be exploited), and that is why you have been given a financial advantage through the C2W scheme that would otherwise have contributed to the public purse.

I personally would support a scheme that would promote cycling in the way that you are using the C2W scheme; I see that it would have many benefits (not least being the potential to increase the number of car drivers with experience of cycling, and so hopefully, improving their consideration on the road). However, such a scheme is not, to my knowledge, currently available. Certainly it isn't the C2W. If you accept that you are misusing the scheme, fine. Personally, I have little problem with that. But, if I were you, I wouldn't bother trying to justify it.

Stuart