Christchurch business hands cash bonuses to those cycling to work

New Zealand advertising agency Make Collective is joining the ranks of those companies offering cyclists cash to cycle to work.

Offering $5 a day to those who cycle to work, or $10 a day for those that carry the habit through for more than six months, the firm’s boss told Stuff that workers with active travel lifestyles will receive the cash as an end-of-year bonus.

“For a while I had been thinking it would be great to incentivise cycling in some way. I’m a really keen cyclist [and] cash is clearly the most obvious incentive, said boss Tim Chesney. “My gut instinct is that it could be something really good for the workplace. I know for myself I show up feeling a lot more energised, my blood is already flowing.”

Scores will be kept among staff, that will be tallied up at the end of the year in order to demonstrate the incentive’s effect to staff and encourage ridership growth.

Chesney hopes that his example will be picked up by other businesses in New Zealand and perhaps further afield.

“We work a lot with socially-minded clients and want our work to make the world better, so this is just us playing our part,” Chesney said.

“Christchurch is slowly developing its cycle infrastructure, it’s starting to get better and safer to bike, especially with the cycleways off the road, that’s really key.”

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