French investment in cycling

On 26 January 2012, French Transport Minister Thierry Mariani presented the national bicycle plan created by a work group presided by Philippe Goujon, deputy mayor of the 15th district in Paris, that has 17 members. Among the proposals selected are the desire to develop inter-modality between bicycles and public transport, allowing employees to park bicycles in a station or to take them on trains, the possibility for cyclists to turn right at red lights, the marking of bicycles to fight theft, the obligation to have bicycle parking areas in new buildings, the setting up of bicycle schools and a national communication programme. However, the minister did not select the flagship measure on indemnities per km for work-home travel and tax exonerations for enterprises who make bicycles available to employees, which were requested by associations of cyclists. For Jean-Marie Darmian, President of the club of cities and territories where cycling is possible, this plan compiles measures that already exist. Geneviève Laferrère, President of the French federation of bicycle users (Fubicy), says that the measures are not new but that they would help the development of bicycle usage in France.