Tallinn will help schoolkids buy a bicycle with 100 euros

But first, they will have to obtain a bicycle rider’s licence

Last week, the municipal website of Tallinn announced that the local government had submitted a draft proposal to the city council for the subsidizing of a “Cycling School”. The institution will grant bicycle rider’s licences to children aged 10 to 15 after they have completed the necessary course on road traffic rules. What’s more, the City will grant each child that obtains the licence 100 euros to help with the acquisition of a bicycle and thus popularize this type of mobility among the youngest.

The government allowance for the budding cyclists will be given once and has to be claimed in the same year as the one when the rider’s licence has been received. The child also has to be a registered resident of the Estonian capital.

Measures to promote soft mobility and safety

“Our goal is to increase the safety of children in traffic, increase the number of cyclists among young people and promote healthy exercise. Passing the cyclist's test ensures that the child can choose the right riding techniques and assess where it is safe to ride,” said Joosep Vimm, Deputy Mayor of Tallinn.

He continued: “The habit and skills of using a bicycle that have developed in a young person could remain with the children for life. In order for the price of a child's bicycle not to be an obstacle and to give an encouraging signal to buy a bicycle, we want to support the purchase of this vehicle as a city.”

The total amount of the project “Cycling School” in 2022 is planned to be 100,000 euros, which will be allocated from the second supplementary budget of the city this year. In order to make school environments safer, 1.5 million euros have been set in the budget of Tallinn this year. The City is also building new bicycle parking lots. 

Tallinn's cycling strategy 2018–2027 has set a goal that the share of cycling should reach 11 per cent of all modes of transport, including 25 per cent of movements between home and school. Increasing cycling traffic would reduce congestion in the city, make the air cleaner and increase the habits of city dwellers. 

The support of the “cycling school” would also contribute to the fulfillment of the goals of Tallinn as the European Green Capital in 2023, improving the quality of life and the living environment of the city by making it more environmentally friendly.