* Cycling promoted for commuters to avoid public transport
* Britain, France investing to improve layout for cyclists
* Electric bikes see increased demand
* Carmakers may benefit from desire for more personal space
By Edward Taylor and James Davey
FRANKFURT/LONDON, May 11 (Reuters) - Bicycles could play a
central role in more major European cities as governments
scramble to get commuters back to work without crowding buses or
trains after coronavirus lockdowns are eased.
Britain, a laggard compared to its continental neighbours
when it comes to cycling to work, is now encouraging people to
get in the saddle as part of a 250 million pound ($308
million)emergency active travel fund announced last week.
And in France, home to the world's most famous bike race,
the government plans to invest 20 million euros ($22 million) to
develop and subsidise two-wheel travel, which like Britain will
include temporary bike lanes.
While Amsterdam in the Netherlands and many cities across
northern Europe are geared up for cycle commuting, in other
countries a lack of infrastructure has limited bike usage.
But as workers seek to avoid being crammed onto public
transport, where social distancing is a challenge, the
coronavirus pandemic has proved a boon for some bike makers.
Global sales of VanMoof's sleek electric bikes rose 48%
between the end of February and mid-March, while in Britain they
jumped 184% between early February and the end of April.
"People tend to stick to day to day behavioural routines and
patterns, especially for mobility. They stay in their cars and
keep using the subway. The shock value of corona has pushed
people out of their normal routines into new habits," VanMoof's
co-founder Taco Carlier told Reuters.
BRITONS GEAR UP
Meanwhile, shares in British bicycles and car parts retailer
Halfords soared as much as 26% on Monday after Britain's
transport minister said those who needed to travel to work
should consider cycling or walking.
The British government said in a statement last week that
its plans were aimed at encouraging more people to "choose
alternatives to public transport when they need to travel",
adding that this would help ensure "road, bus and rail networks
are ready to respond to future increases in demand".
Halfords noted that only 4% of commuter journeys are
currently made by bike in Britain, where cycling accounts for
just 2% of all journeys. In the Netherlands, it is 27%.
British transport minister Grant Shapps said Britain's road
infrastructure would be changed to accommodate more cyclists and
added that e-scooter trials would be brought forward, with the
potential for rental vehicles on British roads as early as June.
Because Amsterdam-based VanMoof sells 80% of its bikes
online and delivers by mail, it has seen demand surge during
lockdown when rivals struggled because of shop closures.
And a newly introduced S3 high-end electric commuter bike
with an automatic gearbox has provided a further boost for
VanMoof, which expects its revenue to hit 80 million euros in
2020, from just 3 million euros five years ago.
'PERCEIVED THREAT'
The coronavirus pandemic has also sparked a surge in bike
sales across the United States, a mixture of people wanting to
exercise during lockdown and those seeking to avoid the risk of
contagion on public transport.
Health is now as important as regulation, financial status
and technology when it comes to changing mobility habits,
McKinsey consultant Timo Moeller said.
"In future many customers will choose their mode of
transport not just on the basis of price and comfort, but also
on the basis of a perceived threat of infection," Moeller said.
While potentially benefiting bike sales, that may also offer
a glimmer of hope for carmakers, whose sales have collapsed
during the coronavirus crisis.
Where lockdowns have already been eased for longer, some
carmakers say business has rebounded.
Volkswagen's sales in China rose above their year-earlier
levels in the last week of April, driven by new buyers seeking
to avoid public transport, Juergen Stackmann, who is responsible
for passenger car sales and marketing at the VW brand, said.
"There might be a trend toward individual mobility since
people want to avoid public transport these days," he added,
noting that VW's Chinese budget brand Jetta had picked up market
share following the relaxation of lockdown rules.
($1 = 0.8112 pounds)
($1 = 0.9244 euros)
(Reporting by Edward Taylor;
Editing by Keith Weir and Alexander Smith)