Free water refills and bike repair kits among bids to help commuters

Provisions are piling up to help workers who hope to walk or cycle their journey to work as the Coronavirus lockdown starts to ease.

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The Government has advised people returning to workplaces to walk or cycle there if at all possible. This will help to help maintain social distancing for everyone and ease the potential pressure on public transport.

Some stores are stepping up to offer everything from free water to bike repair kits for those who aim to travel by bike or on foot.

Among them is Central England Co-op stores, with a range of free services that bikers and walkers can access in their shops.

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Cycling and walking commuters can make use of free water refills, charging points for their phones, indoor and outdoor seating, and customer toilets when they stop off at selected Co-op stores, while free bike repair kits are available at all stores.

There is provision to leave bikes outside, as all shops have bike racks available to customers.

Debbie Robinson, Central England Co-op chief executive, said: “Our communities are always at the heart of all our decisions, especially during these uncertain times.

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“Anyone commuting to or from work can nip into one of our stores and enjoy free access to all different kinds of support from customer toilets and water refills to special charging points and special store bike repair kits.”

The retailer is also rolling out a specialist feature at some of its new sites, a public use bicycle repair station, for those who need help during daily travels.

And colleagues at the Society can apply to take advantage of the new Cycle to Work scheme, which allows people to access heavily discounted bikes to get to and from workplaces.

Visit the website www.centralengland.coop/updates to find out about local community initiatives.