Belgium expands cycle allowance to all employees
From May 1st, Belgium will expand the coverage of its bicycle allowance to all employees. That was announced by the country’s National Labour Council – a body uniting representatives of both employers and employees.
Until now, about 85% of Belgian employees were entitled to receive the bicycle allowance. Thanks to the decision of the NLC, the remaining 15% - from sectors such as banking and tourism – are now also included.
This follows other good news for corporate cyclists: on January 1st, the bicycle allowance itself was raised from 20 to 27 eurocents per km, and from now on will be indexed annually.
Additionally, employees can now also use so-called eco cheques to pay for bicycle subscriptions or parking spaces.
These measures are aimed at promoting cycling to and from work, where possible. At present, the majority (55%) of employees who live no more than 5 km from their work still choose to commute by car.
The bicycle allowance only compensates for the shortest route between home and work, and is limited to 40 km per day, which at the increased rate works out to €10.8 per day.
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