The Government is committed to achieving modal shift in transport and increasing the number of Active Travel and Public Transport journeys over the coming years. This is evidenced in both the commitments made under various policy documents such as the Climate Action Plan and my Department's National Sustainable Mobility Plan, as well as the significant increase in funding for public transport, walking and cycling measures over the past number of years.
It is important we move quickly to reduce our carbon emissions and in doing so we must promote a modal shift away from fossil-fuelled vehicle use for personal and business purposes. The National Sustainable Mobility Policy and its accompanying Action Plan 2022-2025 seek to support the wider shift toward sustainable transport across the country.
A new Action Plan to cover the period from 2026 to 2030 is currently being finalised by my Department in line with a commitment in the Programme for Government and will build on the work of its predecessor to improve and expand sustainable transport options nationwide, including through further investment in Active Travel infrastructure and Mobility Hubs, both of which will support the expanded use of e-cargo bikes for both business and personal use.
The Deputy is correct in that there is a suite of incentives currently in place from Zero Emissions Vehicle Ireland (ZEVI) and the Department of Finance to support the continued transition away from fossil-fuelled vehicles towards electric vehicles (EVs). There are also grants available from a business perspective which could be availed of by the commercial fleet sector. At present, however, there are no specific supports available towards the use of e-cargo bikes for freight purposes.
My Department is continuously exploring ways to encourage the uptake of cycling as a mode of transport. While I welcomed the introduction of an increase in the Bike-to-Work scheme thresholds in recent Budgets to encourage uptake of e-bike and cargo e-bikes, initiatives such as those which the Deputy has outlined will be considered as part of the annual Estimates process, which is currently underway ahead of Budget 2027. My Department will continue to undertake research into potential additional measures which could be introduced to promote modal shift and encourage uptake of cargo bikes going forward by both the personal transport and commercial fleet sectors.
