KPN encourages cycling for commuter traffic

KPN is going to encourage and reward employees who cycle to work. KPN is the first company in the Netherlands to offer a net kilometer allowance of €0.40 per kilometer cycled. This new measure, combined with an attractive bike leasing plan, means that employees can now travel by regular or electric bike for a very low cost. Employees who cycle to work one day a week, covering a distance of 15km each way, can ride an average electric bike for next to nothing. The scheme is even more advantageous for those who cycle more.

KPN wants to contribute considerably to the reduction of CO₂ emissions and has set itself the target of achieving 0% emissions across the entire chain, including business travel, by 2040. KPN has therefore joined the Anders Reizen coalition, a network of more than 70 large employers who are committed to radically improving the sustainability of their mobility. Carlo Steenvoorden, responsible for mobility at KPN: “For us, sustainability means seeking to minimize our impact on the environment while at the same time making a positive contribution to solving social issues. Mobility is one of those issues. But how can we encourage people to choose cycling and public transport? This requires a change in behavior. We believe this can be achieved by encouraging and rewarding sustainable transport choices: the better it is for the environment, the better it is for your wallet.”

Unique scheme
For this reason, every KPN employee now has the opportunity to ride a bike at a low cost, thanks to the new leasing plan. KPN pays €0.40 net for every kilometer cycled. The reimbursement also applies if the employee uses their own bike and for kilometers cycled to a railway station. Steenvoorden continues: “The Netherlands is one of the leading countries in the world for cycling, so the bike should be the preferred way for Dutch people to get to work every day, alongside public transport. With a bike scheme like this, combined with a public transport card and the fact that our offices are located near public transport hubs, I’m convinced that more and more KPN employees will choose to travel sustainably. It would be amazing if KPN employees cycled an average of 30 kilometers a week!” 

Freedom of choice
The cycling kilometer allowance and the bike leasing plan are part of KPN's revised mobility scheme, which comes into effect on 1 August. KPN encourages sustainable modes of transport, but offers maximum freedom of choice and a wide range of transport options for all employees, even when it is not possible to travel by bike. For example, the company has an attractive scheme for leasing an electric car for private use, car-pooling vehicles and departmental cars are available, and employees who commute in their own car are reimbursed €0.23 net per kilometer.