KPN: 40 cents per kilometer bicycle allowance

Transportation by bike has many advantages: cycling is good for the environment and for one’s health. For a sustainable, healthy Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, with vital residents and employees, it is therefore important to encourage the use of bicycles.

1. What does your bicycle scheme entail?

“Med employees choose the mode of transportation they feel is best suited for the trip by day. Combine can. Everyone gets to choose an (electric) lease bike; you get €15 per month reimbursed and €0.40 net per km, for the car do you receive €0,23 net per km, OV is fully reimbursed. Op our offices are charging points, battery lockers and showers.”

2. Why did you start a bicycle scheme?

“We want to encourage employees to come to work healthy, vital and sustainable. That is why we both offer a mobility scheme that most encourages the best choice and takes into account different destinations.”

3. Since when has this arrangement been made available?

“Since Aug. 1, 2023. We are seeing a sharp increase in bike rides and now 1000+ employees have requested a leased bike of which +/- 500 are already on the road. We hope to soon have the 1500ste tap; 20% of all employees.”

4. What makes your bicycle scheme more attractive than a lease car, public transport or a car allowance?

“A kilometer of cycling yields 17 cents net more than by car, also the cost per kilometer of cycling is lower. In addition, the lease bike is tax-friendly, because the lease price is deducted from the gross salary and employees receive a monthly allowance with us. A bicycle of +/- 3000 euros is already free with an average of one bike ride per week.”

5. What is the effect of your bicycle scheme on vitality and CO2 reduction?

“Initial insights and conversations with employees are promising, and we will obviously monitor this. We hear our employees talk about the new (electric) bikes and how far they have biked. Every car mile we save is one. In doing so, cycling is not only better in terms of emissions, it is also quieter and healthier.”

6. What obstacles have you encountered?

“The discussion “lingered” on the question of when an employee is or is not entitled to a leased car. That didn’t shoot up. We then started with: Whe drives for KPN? Where is everyone driving to? How can we do that more sustainably? Then we came to a better conversation en a new plan. About eand differentiated mileage reimbursement for car and bicycle you pay extra tax, in Belgium and Germany not. We have been working with the IRS and other major employers in conversation about this.”

7. What would you recommend to organisations that are still getting started with a bicycle scheme?

“Choose real change, not a small marginal change. Choose a storyline that is integral to the strategy and resonates with your employees. Then you put “the good” in motion.”

Want to get started on a bicycle scheme? Learn more about our Green Deal Bicycle initiative.