Goodwill says 'Wheels 2 Work' bike loan schemes can be run as a business

The transport minister Robert Goodwill, calling for more 'Wheels 2 Work' schemes to lend motorbikes, mopeds or bicycles to people wanting to access a job but are stymied by transport, has claimed "well run schemes can be like a business".

Goodwill said yesterday that he hoped to see more Wheels 2 Work schemes made possible by the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, which is accepting bids until March. But he added: "In a world where funding is tight, councils will always be nervous about entering into an open-ended grant funding commitment.

"I want local authorities thinking about bidding to know that Wheels 2 Work schemes can be different. Well-run schemes [can] generate a return, a return that is invested back into helping more people. Devon has shown how this model can work. By charging sustainable loan fees and growing the busines, they are helping more people, while reducing ongoing reliance on grant funding."

He said that Wheels 2 Work schemes, which have increased in number by 35% since 2012, were vital given 10 million people live in the English countryside, where "commercial transport services can be unprofitable".