Thousands of people across Scotland are set to benefit from the relaunch of a scheme offering free bike repairs.
The Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme offers repairs of up to £50 per person – and is designed to be of particular help to those who would not otherwise be able to afford to get their bikes fixed.
All cycles are welcome on the scheme, including e-bikes and non-standard cycles such as trikes, tandems, cargo bikes and recumbents. People who use manual wheelchairs are also eligible to access free repairs.
The scheme was first launched by Cycling UK in 2020, thanks to funding from the Scottish Government.
The first phase ran between August 2020 and May 2021, when 31,562 repairs were carried out by 332 cycle repair providers across Scotland.
Cycling UK says 77% of participants used their repaired cycles for journeys previously made by car, showing that with support, more people would cycle for short everyday trips.
More than 200 bike shops, from Kirkcudbright in the south to Lerwick on Shetland in the north, are already signed up to participate in phase two, with many more expected to join.
The second phase has funding for 20,000 repairs.
Suzanne Forup, Cycling UK’s head of development for Scotland, said: “This scheme will once more fix the nation’s flat tyres and loose brakes, to get people pedalling again.
“Finances are tight for many people at the moment, so the scheme is targeted at people who can’t easily afford to get their bikes fixed up.
“Whether it’s popping to the shops or commuting to work, cycling boosts people’s physical health, wellbeing and saves them cash.
“It’s also a low carbon form of transport, tackling climate change and helping Scotland meet our NetZero ambitions as Glasgow hosts COP26 this week. We want to make sure these benefits are available to as many people as possible.
“The scheme has been a huge success previously – getting thousands of people cycling and supporting hundreds of Scottish businesses – so we’re delighted to bring it back.”
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