Free bike repair scheme returns
South Lanarkshire residents will be able to get free bike repairs thanks to the relaunch of an old scheme.
The Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme aims to offer free repairs of up to £50 per person to help people who would financially struggle to get their bike fixed.
The project hopes to encourage people to get their old bikes out and back in use, and there are seven bike shops across the county taking part in the scheme.
Four shops in East Kilbride will take on repairs – Pedal Zone, EK Ok Bikes, Sick Cycles and Halfords. Cambuslang Cycles will also do work on bikes, along with Halfords in Hamilton and Rutherglen.
Councillor John Anderson is delighted to see the scheme back up and running and said:“i would encourage anyone who has been putting off getting back on their bike because of minor repairs that might be needed to take advantage of this scheme.
“We are always looking to encourage people to cycle more, and this scheme will be of a great help to anyone who may be worried about the cost of repairs.”
The scheme is funded by the Scottish Government and carried out by Cycling UK in collaboration with bike shops across Scotland and aims to provide 20,000 repairs.
All types of bikes are included in the scheme, while people who use manual wheelchairs are also eligible for free repairs.
The scheme first ran between August 2020 and May 2021 – when 31,562 repairs were carried out across Scotland.
A total of 77 percent of people used their repaired bikes for journeys previously done by car, highlighting that with support, people would make use of a bike for everyday use.
Contact the nearest participating shop to get repairs booked.
More information can be found on the Cycling UK website.