To get more youngsters on their bikes, the City of Brussels is offering a bike grant of up to €300 for young people aged 16 to 18. The grant is supposed to make youngsters in the City more independent and encourage them to use bicycles more often. Young people can get the grant if they take a bike training course with Brussels police.
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Up to 300 euros towards a bike for Brussels City youngsters who take the cycling course!
Colin Clapson
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The grant provides youngsters in the City of Brussels with a discount of up to €300 when buying a city bike or safety equipment for cyclists including a helmet, a fluorescent jacket or lights. The focus is on young people aged between 16 and 18 because the City believes this is the age group that it is hardest to encourage to get on their bikes.
‘More young people on bikes, that is the future in the City of Brussels. We have been working on this for six years,’ says mobility alderman Bart Dhondt (Flemish green). ‘There are safe cycle paths, more and more school streets and quieter traffic flows. We want to give tomorrow's cyclists the chance to become cyclists today.’
Take a course with the police
Youngsters do not qualify for the grant just like that. They first have to take a course with Brussels police. ‘The course lasts two hours, during which we briefly review traffic rules, what is allowed and what is not,’ explains Jurgen Willems of Brussels police. ‘We also teach the youngsters several cycling techniques including steering skills. And at the end of the training session we ride around the city putting everything into practice and reminding participants of the possible dangers of cycling in a city.’
Mohamed Stito is one of the young people taking the bicycle training course. ‘I am following the training because I want to ride a bike. But unfortunately, I don't have a bike. There is no cash for that. So I am happy that I can do this training and get a grant so that I can buy a bike.’