The Cycle to Work Scheme - Could it work in the United States?

The Cycle to Work Scheme is a program that began under the 1999 Finance Act from the United Kingdom parliament. The United Kingdom government offers tax incentives for employers to try to promote a healthier lifestyle for its work force while also attempting to reduce the potential pollution impact of ever growing auto mobile pollution.

The idea is to get as many people as possible to bicycle theirway to and from work each day. Any automobile that is not on the road means there is less pollution, less congestion and ideally a healthier member of the work force. The program applies only to work travel, such as to and from the job or from work to a mass transit station.

There is no businessman anywhere in the world that will not be interested in any type of tax break offered to his business. This particular offer has some conditions attached, namely participation by the employeees in a continuing program. Therefore it lays the burden of compliance with all potential employers that decide to take part in the scheme.

The cost of health care to business continues to increase each year as it does to each of us. Perhaps in your particular situation you foot a large percentage of the bill and feel the employuer gets off relatively easy. While that may be so, it is still a matter of concern the employer weighs when they decide who to keep on the pay roll or whther to expand their business and hire more workers.

This plan can help free more of the company's resources to grow a stronger business unit.

For all the bluster we Americans hear about climate change and energy concerns, there is a pitiful amount of positive moves to make any difference in our situation. It is well known around the world that the United Staes consumes more energy than any country in the world today, although we will probably be displaced on this dubious list by China and maybe India very soon.

The Cycle to Work Scheme is a brilliant attempt by the governments of the United Kingdom to change the equation to a more favorable condition. Truly the only way to make the energy condition any better is to reduce consumption by any feasible means. There has been much press about mass transit solutions to the consumption issue in the United States, but there is always massive initial costs to build anything like this in the United States.

In contrast the Bike to Work Scheme only is trying to deal with the cost of a bicycle, which is a significantly less costly financial need. The money saved through this scheme can be substantial and the environmental impact realized quickly.

There is no doubt the general public in the United States needs to get more exercise. I heard on a National Public Radio news program recently that in all 50 states minimum standards for overweight citizen reduction are not being met. In fact the country as a whole seems to be getting fatter. So the first question that comes to mind is whether Americans would even try to do this.

Secondly, I can imagine how hard it would be for those with significant commutes to do this. Personally I have a 35 to 40 minute drive to my work. Keep in mind that is at an average speed of 50-60 miles per hour. If we are talking about bicycling you can triple that amount of time. So, basically biking to work is not something I think I could do simply based on the time factor. If my situation were different, however i would definitely give this program a try.

This scheme could be possible in the cities of America, where people do not have long commutes. The traffic in American cities is incredible. I recently visited Washington D.C. our nation capitol and say a few biccyles traversing the streets, proof that the idea could be positive.

 Money is always the most important piece of the puzzle when businessmen weight the positives and negatives of any scheme. The bike to Work Scheme succeeds due to the potential for a money dividend to the employer. A healthier workforce cuts the health care cost to the company. It also means the employees will be at their posts more often and in a better condition to deliver the most value to the company.

The current United States president, Barack Obama, is all about money to fix every ill  our country faces. I expect it will take another money laden program to get environmental change to be a reality. Perhaps the Bike to Work Scheme will be an incentive to him to look at a similar idea.