The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works announces the opening of applications for the revised Grant Scheme for the purchase of a bicycle for the period 2022 – 2023. The application period is from 06/09/2022 at 11:00 am. until 21/09/2022 at 10:00 a.m. Applications should be submitted online at www.podilato.gov.cy while pre-approvals will be given through the electronic lottery process in live broadcast.
The budget of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works includes a total provision of €200.000 for the year 2022, and the Ministry's goal for the year 2022 is to provide grants for 900 new non-electric bicycles and 25 types of bicycles for the disabled.
It is recalled that the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, in collaboration with the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Finance, defined socio-economic criteria to target the plan to citizens who have lower financial ability to purchase a bicycle. Based on the decision of the Council of Ministers, the beneficiaries for the purchase of a new bicycle are determined based on the socio-economic criteria below:
i. Beneficiaries of the minimum guaranteed income provided by the Welfare Benefits Management Service of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare.
ii. Recipients of public assistance provided by the Social Welfare Services of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare.
iii. Recipients of the pensioner's benefit with low incomes provided by the Welfare Benefits Administration Service of the Under-Secretary of Social Welfare and has the meaning ascribed to that term in accordance with the Low-Income Pensioners Assistance Scheme, as amended or replaced in accordance with the respective Decisions of the Council of Ministers.
iv. Family Units with dependent children as defined in the 2002 Child Allowance Provision Legislation (L.167 (I) /2002):
who have one (1) dependent child and have an annual gross mixed income of up to €19.500 and receive child benefit.
who have two (2) dependent children and have annual gross mixed incomes up to €39.000 and receive child benefit.
who have three (3) or more dependent children and have an annual gross income of up to €49.000 and receive child benefit.
For the purchase of a type of bicycle for the disabled, it is recalled that the beneficiaries are the holders of the European Disability Card or they present a certificate from the Evaluation Committee of the Department of Social Integration of Persons with Disabilities. It is also noted that the types of disabled bicycles should be bicycles that mitigate any form of inadequacy or disadvantage of the disabled person and concern:
tricycles,
Double bike-tandem,
Handshakes,
Wheelchair transport bike.
Any types of disabled bicycles not described above will require approval from the Sustainable Mobility Branch of the Department of Public Works of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, which the applicant must provide before the application period ends.
The purchase subsidy amount for city, road and mountain bikes will continue to be €200 (incl. VAT) or the actual purchase price of the bike, whichever is the lower, provided that the purchase cost does not exceed € 1.000 (incl. VAT). For the types of bicycles for the disabled, the subsidy amount will amount to €800 (incl. VAT) or the actual purchase price of the bike, whichever is the lower, provided that the purchase cost will not exceed €4.000 (incl. VAT ).
Cypriot nationals, citizens of a member state of the European Union and citizens of Third Countries, 18 years of age or older, who reside permanently in the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus and meet the above criteria, have the right to apply.
Finally, it is noted that applicants who took advantage of the Bicycle Grant Scheme for the period 2021 and have received a grant, will be automatically excluded from the application system for 2022 and 2023.