Subsidy scheme for electric bikes

Cyprus Transport Ministry will launch a subsidy scheme for electric bicycles as part of the government’s urban mobility scheme to encourage the public to opt for greener and more sustainable means of transportation.

The scheme starting on 17 January has a budget of €240,000 and is fully funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Successful applicants will be given a maximum of €1,000 per person to purchase an e-bike. The cost of the bicycles must not exceed €6,000.

People interested must submit their application with Road Transport Department online at www.mcw.gov.cy.

The scheme will cater to applications on a first-come, first-serve principle. The online platform will be accepting applications until 31 January (10 am).

It hopes to reduce the environmental impact of transport and emissions of carbon dioxide and air pollutants, said the Transport Ministry on Thursday.

More information on the scheme is available at www.ev.gov.cy.

The scheme comes just weeks after the ministry closed the first stage of an electric vehicle subsidy scheme which was oversubscribed tenfold.

More than 4,000 motorists in Cyprus jumped at the opportunity for a state grant to go full electric.

The first stage of a €30 mln incentive scheme to convince motorists to go electric will be dishing out €8 mln to just 360 applications for brand new electric cars and 320 used ones, and a limited number for taxis and people with disabilities.