As part of Transport for London’s (TFL) free cycle stand scheme, Anglo Pacific has just received nine racks – enough for 18 bikes - at its Park Royal HQ.
HR Director Liz Caines hopes they will encourage a healthier and more motivated workforce.
“We have around nine hard-core cyclists at this time of year, growing to between 15 and 18 in the summer,” said Liz. “Considering we have 80 staff on-site at our London office, that’s not a bad percentage. It made sense to take TFL up on their kind offer and give them a suitable secure place to store their bikes.”
Anglo Pacific Sales Consultant and die-hard cyclist, Brooke La Pine, said, “Cycling to work saves me at least £60 a month in public transport costs and it’s at least three times faster to cover the four miles between my home and the office. I cycle no matter what, even in the snow, although that can be pretty hairy on skinny road tyres.”
“Before the TFL ‘toast racks’, our bikes would get wet when it rained, which is most of the time in the UK,” said Anglo Pacific Removal Consultant, New Zealand-born Doug Dyer. “We’re trying to encourage our colleagues to cycle to the office, especially as we pretty much sit at a desk all day, but it seems they don’t like the idea of the rain and traffic and would rather spend an hour on public transport than 20 minutes on a bike. It’s a mystery.”
Anglo Pacific Baggage Sales Consultant, Blake Seath, highlights the social side of cycling. “Yes the health benefits, and cutting my journey time from 45 minutes to 15 minutes, are compelling arguments, but there’s an entertainment aspect to cycling too. Whilst I generally journey to work alone, 90% of the time the return leg is done with colleagues – sometimes stopping for some cold ‘refreshment’ along the way.”
Anglo Pacific is not alone in its cycle mania as latest figures show that cycling to work is more popular than ever. Started by the victories of Wiggins and Froome, the UK is undergoing a bike boom and the government even has a tax-free loan scheme in place which can take up to 42% off the cost of a new bike – 325,000 have been purchased in this way so far.
Photo: Cyclists Blake Seath and Brooke La Pine.