EMPLOYERS are being urged to offer bicycles instead of company cars in order to cut congestion and save money. The London Cycling Campaign's new report 'The Best Way To Work' calls on companies to promote cycling as a means of commuting by introducing a range of steps including offering bikes plus cash incentives instead of cars and introducing mileage allowances for cyclists.

The report follows a 10-month pilot project, sponsored by the Department of Transport, in which six London employers were surveyed to discover their level of provision for cyclists and the number of employees who cycled to work. It encourages employers to buy or hire a fleet of bikes to allow employees to try cycling, offer interest-free cycle loans and have a pool of cycles which employees could use for trips during work hours. Showers, parking facilities and changing rooms are also recommended.