Amsterdam, March five: Promoting biking as a method of transportation for a greener world isn’t something new. But the Netherlands has taken the noble initiative a step further by finding out to pay its citizens to visit work on a cycle. In a bid to reduce public dependence on cars, the USA’s infrastructure ministry has given you the eye-catching scheme whereby individuals who cycle to paintings can declare €0.19 (around Rs15) for every kilometer. So, biking 10 kilometers regular to pictures per week could make one earn Rs 300 an afternoon, and that during a yr, involves pretty a formidable amount, and the light component is that it’s far tax-free.
A few corporations had earlier paid people for biking to the office on account that 2006 but the government is now pursuing it aggressively to make the united states extra cycle-pleasant. The authorities have dedicated $390 million (Rs 2, seven hundred crores) to enlarge infrastructure and facilities for the initiative and its objectives to peer 2 lakh additional citizens cycling to their workplaces.
Stientje van Veldhoven, national secretary for infrastructure, become quoted as telling HuffPost: “Cycling is right for decreasing congestion, it is appropriate for air excellent in towns, and it is good for the health of human beings themselves. And it can save cash – you could save masses of euros a 12 months. So there is a massive gain to your wallet.” How tons a long way are we Indians from such an arrangement?