Bike support scheme portal to reopen on Tuesday and Wednesday

The portal to apply for the bicycle purchase scheme, which crashed last week due to unprecedented interest, will reopen on Tuesday and Wednesday, the transport ministry announced on Saturday.

The portal will open at 9am on Tuesday for bikes for disabled people, and on Wednesday for city, road and mountain bikes.

Those interested will have to visit www.podilato.gov.cy, where they will be prompted to insert a telephone number to get pre-approval. This will put them in a queue as the portal will operate on a first come first served basis.

Pre-approved applicants will then receive a link leading them to an application form where they will have to fill in their details within three days.

Those who don’t get pre-approval will be able to provide their email address so they can be included in a runner-up list.

Eligible parties are Cypriots and other European citizens and third-country nationals residing permanently in the Republic, who are over 18. Each person will be subsidised for the purchase of one bicycle.

The subsidy for city, road, and mountain bikes will be up to €200 for bicycles of up to €1,000 including VAT.

Bicycles for people with disabilities will be subsidised with up to €800 or the purchase price, whichever is lower.

The €570,000 scheme, which is part of the €4m Energy and Climate and sustainable mobility national scheme, will operate throughout 2021, 2022 and 2023, the ministry said.