Germans pay to scrap old bikes

I really don't understand this. With the cars it makes perfect sense.

Firstly, the German government makes back most of the money it gives to people, in the VAT they charge on the new car. Secondly, it cuts serious injuries (thanks to new cars being safer) and emissions (providing they don't 'upgrade' to an SUV).

But in bikes? Surely creating new frames drives up emissions, and last time I checked, bike frame technology hasn't exactly moved on in terms of safety. It would put an injection into the newbike market, I suppose, but I've got 2 Steel frames in my house the 30's/40's and they ride fine. It all seems like a colossal waste of resources to me.

You're probably a bike nut and know your stuff. The people this is aimed at aren't. It's also not just about safety, but about other aspects of riding. For instance, with a better bike you can do more trips more comfortably and more conveniently. It raises the status of cycling. I could go on--there are many positives. But as they say in the news piece, they can't see how it could stimulate the economy. This is of course what the Abwrackprämie is primarily aimed at--people buying new cars; apparently, one in six German jobs is related to the car industry (I've never been able to find any reliable source to confirm or deny this figure), and the German car industry is currently tanking badly.