Europe is increasingly green and suitable for e-bikes

Most European countries have specific cycling projects underway in their recovery plans following the Covid-19 pandemic.

In recent years the bicycle has taken on an increasingly greater importance in everyday life and, even countries that in the first instance had not published anything about it, are moving to include soft mobility among the priorities of intervention for their national recovery and resilience plans.

There are 25 states that have made their intentions clear, while Bulgaria, which has published a draft which is not yet official, and the Netherlands which are awaiting the new Government, are still missing.

Another 5 countries have published cycling-related content for the first time, directly or indirectly, within their plans.

In particular:

• The Bulgaria it envisaged a reform of urban mobility to implement infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists in order to improve the safety of vulnerable road users;
• L'Estonia has provided investments for local authorities to invest in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure,
• Malta envisaged the creation of more car-free spaces and incentives for the purchase of e-bikes,
• The Slovenia mentioned bikes in the sustainable tourism section, especially in regards to cycle and pedestrian routes,
• The Swedenfinally, it included cycling in a general spending chapter dedicated to local and regional climate investments, for dedicated infrastructures such as cycle paths.

Furthermore, some countries have published updated versions of their recovery plans with excellent news regarding micro-mobility.

Cyprus, for example, provided more details on the measures of its already existing sustainable mobility plan, where investments in the sustainable transport component now also include the development of pedestrian areas, 36 km of new cycle paths and 4 km of networks to be improved, safety for all road users with new crossings and cycle junctions, creation of urban corridors, cycle car parks and 30 km/h zones.

The Czech Republic specified the budget dedicated to commercial incentives for electric vehicles.

L'Hungary declared that 120 million euros will go to cycling infrastructure and, finally, the Romania has added cycling references in various investment sectors such as, for example, specific studies on cycle paths, a national network of cycle and pedestrian paths, a national "E-Velo" platform, multimodality with the adaptation of modernized wagons for bicycle storage and the digitalisation of cycle paths and routes.