The episode in detail
Skipr, the fintech that distributes the sustainable mobility allowance
Skipr is a Belgian fintech that lets companies give their employees a mobility budget through a dedicated payment card. Jan De Lobkowicz, 33, is in charge of the French market. The principle: the employer sets a monthly or annual amount (up to 600 euros a year under the sustainable mobility allowance), exempt from social contributions for the company and tax-free for the employee. The card can be used to pay for bike subscriptions, repairs, equipment, shared scooters or carpooling. If the budget does not cover the full cost of a purchase (a bike, for example), the employee can top it up with their personal card.
“600 euros a year, exempt from social contributions, tax-free. It’s more rewarding than a 2% pay rise at the end of the year.”
From solo driving to the bike: the problem of driving alone
Jan cites a telling figure: the average car occupancy rate in France is close to 1.06 people. In other words, almost all drivers travel alone, especially for home-to-work journeys at peak times. This behaviour, known as driving alone, or ‘autosolisme’, clogs up urban and suburban roads. The bike, the scooter, the electric moped and public transport offer more sensible alternatives in city centres. Jan himself alternated between cycling (a non-electric gravel bike) and walking for his journeys in Paris, until his bike was stolen, leaving only a wheel attached to the post.
“The average car occupancy rate in France is 1.06. One person per car at peak times, every day.”
The sustainable mobility allowance: a legal framework still underused
The mobility orientation law (LOM) of December 2019 created the sustainable mobility allowance, which lets employers fund up to 600 euros a year per employee for journeys by bike, carpooling or shared transport. Yet many companies have still not set it up, out of unfamiliarity or inertia. Jan notes that Skipr campaigns within a coalition to raise this amount, widen the option to combine it with public transport reimbursement, and make the allowance mandatory. In the meantime, companies that adopt it turn it into a tool for attracting and retaining talent.
“A lot of companies think it’s 50% cars, 50% public transport. No, not at all. The bike comes out well ahead in what people need.”
Employee surveys: the overlooked trigger
Before rolling out mobility solutions, Skipr recommends that companies survey their employees. The employee survey measures actual modes of transport, distances, barriers and expectations. Skipr has carried out around fifty of these in France. The results often surprise management: bike commuting is already practised by a significant share of employees, and many others are ready to take the plunge if the company installs bike parking or offers a mobility allowance. Jan points out that this free survey then justifies the necessary investments to management.
“The employee survey is a low-cost tool that gives a very precise view of what employees need.”
Bike parking in the workplace: converting car spaces
For Jan, the biggest barrier to bike commuting in the workplace is neither the weather nor the distance: it’s the lack of secure bike parking at the workplace. The maths is simple: one car space holds four to five bikes. Vertical parking systems make it possible to save even more space. Jan argues that companies should convert car parking spaces into bike spaces rather than waiting for local authorities to do it in public spaces. Private infrastructure is the fastest lever to pull, without depending on a municipal timetable.
“Every car space removed means four to five more bikes. Converting parking is the most concrete step a company can take.”
Cycle training in the workplace: beyond the payment card
Skipr does not stop at distributing budgets. The company offers workshops on cycling in the city when it rolls out its solution for a client. These workshops cover road safety, sharing the road with cars, and even learning to ride a bike for those who cannot. Jan points out that not everyone knows how to ride and that companies often ask for these ‘learn to ride’ workshops. Training complements the financial tool: the budget opens up access, the training removes the fear.
