The MCI continues to call for commitment from public and private stakeholders for secure long-term support and funding for the Wheels to Work Scheme.

Wheels to Work is a programme which provides transport - mainly smaller engine motorcycles or scooters - to individuals who are unable to access training, employment or education, due to a lack of suitable public transport. This can be particularly useful for people living in isolated rural communities where public transport is inadequate or only available during business hours. W2W offers an opportunity for people to take up motorcycling in a safe and structured way, while highlighting the benefits of accessibility, economy and social inclusion which comes from riding bikes.

The MCI has reviewed the number of existing schemes, their objectives, geographical location, size, operational scope and the security of their financing and submitted a report to Government (‘Wheels to Work in 2010’). This provided a basis for further ongoing discussions and work to centralise the programme, preserving and hopefully extending its funding. The MCI report has also been used in various Government inter departmental briefings and Transport Minister Norman Baker MP has pledged limited support to W2W via the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, a new fund for local authorities – a key success of the MCI project thus far.

In January, MCI hosted a Wheels to Work conference, which brought together the existing programmes and others with an interest in W2W. This included Government officials. The conference agreed that national coordination was urgently needed and there was a discussion about how this should work. MCI has since been liaising closely with Government on the future of W2W and has discussed potential funding mechanisms for national coordination.

Discussion has also continued with individual W2W schemes to identify how W2W can move towards self-sustainability in the longer term, so reducing reliance on grant aid or other hand outs during times of economic austerity. Part of the project is also aimed at identifying how procurement of bikes and other products and services can be made much easier and more cost effective and efficient for both suppliers and W2W schemes through using a national structure.