Free bikes to help jobseekers back to work

Free bikes to help jobseekers back to work

Jobseekers across Greater Manchester are being helped back into work this year with a scheme that provides them with free recycled bikes.

The Bike Back to Work scheme, a Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) initiative in partnership with Jobcentre Plus, gives jobseekers who have recently found work the opportunity to apply for a recycled bike that they can use to travel to their new job.

A bike can be a vital alternative for people who might struggle to get to work without one, perhaps due to shift patterns or a lack of alternative commuting options.

Eligible applicants will also receive free equipment, such as helmets and hi-vis vests, and access to free cycle training.

Councillor Andrew Fender, Chairman of the TfGM Committee, said: “This is a really worthwhile scheme helping hundreds of people across Greater Manchester get to work.

“With low running costs, as well as the associated health benefits, cycling is a fantastic way for people to get around Greater Manchester, and helping people get to work by bike will benefit the local economy as well as the environment.”

TfGM can supply bicycles anywhere across Greater Manchester. Jobseekers can collect them from suppliers in Wigan, Trafford, Bury, Manchester, Oldham and Stockport.

People should apply for bikes directly via their Job Centre Plus or Work Programme adviser.

The Bike Back to Work scheme is part of a wider initiative to help people back to work in Greater Manchester. TfGM also holds regular travel surgeries at job centres and events across the region, offering one-to-one travel advice and support to jobseekers.

Eligible jobseekers can apply for free one-day bus travel passes to get to interviews, and free 28-day bus or Metrolink travel passes for the first four weeks of new employment – with discounted travel for 12 weeks after. Around 18,000 discounted tickets have been distributed so far in 2016/17, along with over 300 bikes.

For more information on Bike Back to Work, visit www.tfgm.com/travelchoices and click on the ‘Jobseekers’ section.