France is now going to be giving up to €4,000 per person who would trade in their cars for electric bikes, The Times reported.
The move comes in a bid to incentivize people to replace the modes of transportation that cause pollution with cleaner alternatives.
People living in low-income households in urban zones will be eligible for the full €4,000 subsidy for getting an e-bike instead of their cars, while the citizens from higher income brackets would be able to claim smaller subsidies.
Additionally, traditional and non-motorized bikes will also be able to qualify for the incentive.
The French government said that, compared with only 3 percent now, it wants 9 percent of the country to switch to bike by 2024, with the aim of catching up to other bike-loving rivals such as Netherlands, Denmark and Germany.
The French policy is modeled on another very successful program in Lithuania where citizens qualify for a subsidy of up to €1,000 for exchanging old vehicles and purchasing new electric vehicles and even for public transportation credits.
France is also investing to make Paris entirely bikeable with bike-safe pathways and other projects.
