12 March 2014. The French Government is trialling a 'pay for ride' scheme to get more people riding bikes to work and so save on health costs.

Workers could gain 30 cents for each kilometre they travel.

The trial will run in a number of selected companies who will re-imburse their staff according to the distance they travel on their bike.

The eventual aim is to double the rate of bike commuting from 5 per cent of employees to ten per cent.

The government is proposing other measures to make cycling less of a risk, and more widespread, including a $125 rise in the fine for parking on a cycle lane to $170, more bike parking—from 2015, companies will be forced to include bike parking spaces in all car parks.

In an innovative development, passing laws will be changed to allow French drivers to overtake a cyclist across solid white lines, currently illegal.

French companies today must reimburse employees some of their travel costs such as rail or bus tickets. There is a milage allowance for those who drive.

But the relentlessly rising health budget has forced authorities into the realisation that the $2.5M annual cost of the program would return far more in health savings.