Tallinn makes grants for buying bicycles for children available from August

TALLINN – The City of Tallinn will start accepting applications for grants to help finance the purchase of bicycles for school-age children from Aug. 1.  

The one-off grant of up to 100 euros will be available for the purchase of a bicycle for a child of 10 to 15 years of age who has obtained their cyclist's license during the current year, spokespeople for the city government said on Friday. 

The aim of the grant is to promote the obtaining of cyclist's licenses by children to raise their awareness of safe cycling and develop safe cycling habits. In addition, the grant aims to increase the proportion of cycling in children's mobility, promote healthy lifestyles and safe mobility.

"Everyone benefits from the growth of mobility by bike: there will be less congestion in the city, the air will be cleaner and our residents' habit of healthier commute will grow. It is also important to give parents an additional incentive to encourage and allow their children to obtain cyclist's licenses. This grant is one step so that in a few years a quarter of the commutes between school and home will be made by bike," said Joosep Vimm, deputy mayor of Tallinn.

The one-off allowance of up to 100 euros will be available to children between 10 and 15 years of age who have obtained a cyclist's license during the current year, who live in Tallinn according to the population register and for whom the bicycle has been purchased in the year of application.

An amount of 100,000 euros has been earmarked in Tallinn's budget for the project, enough to pay out grants for the purchase of new bikes for 1,000 children. Besides, Tallinn's budget for 2022 sets aside 1.5 million euros to make the streets near schools safer for cyclists, and the city is also working on new cycle parking facilities.

Tallinn's bicycle strategy for 2018-2027 has set the goal that the share of cycling would reach 11 percent of all modes of movement, including 25 percent of movement between home and school. 

The grants program will also contribute to Tallinn's goals as European Green Capital 2023 by improving the quality of life and living environment for residents of the city.