The government wants Britain to get on its bike. The transport secretary, Andrew Adonis, will launch a scheme today to encourage companies to improve cycling facilities for their employees, part of a plan to make cycling one of the mainstream ways for getting people to and from work, school and college.

"If proper facilities were more widely available, I believe far more people would cycle to work," Adonis said. "At present, only 3% do so. We could double or treble that figure with proper bike storage and changing facilities and safe cycle routes – and that's my aim."

By signing up to the government's "cycle to work guarantee", companies will agree to provide staff with safe bike storage, changing rooms, cycling lessons and access to bike-repair facilities – as well as access to the government's tax-free scheme to buy new bicycles.

Around 70 public and private sector employers have already signed up, including Whitehall departments, NHS hospitals and companies such as BSkyB, E.ON and GlaxoSmithKline.

Adonis cited Copenhagen – where 40% of all journeys are made by bike – as a good example of what can be achieved with the right organisation and incentives.

The cycling guarantee forms part of a wider strategy to get people more active that will be published next month. "We're investing £140m in improved facilities for cyclists over the next three years," Adonis said. "This includes more support for cycle lanes, dedicated cycle paths, and I'm a strong supporter of the mayor of London's plans for cycle highways."

The health secretary, Andy Burnham, said: "We can't expect people to cycle to work if they can't have a shower or store their bike safely when they get there – that's why we need a cycle-to-work guarantee from employers. Lots of NHS organisations have already signed up and are helping their staff cycle their way to better health. I'm pleased they are leading by example and I hope it will become standard practice across the NHS."

Richard Lambert, director of the Confederation of British Industry, welcomed the initiative. "An estimated one in two journeys cover less than five miles, so there is huge opportunity for increasing cycle use. This initiative shows how a number of small steps by employers can encourage employees to cycle to work."

What do you think? There's no public money behind the scheme as yet. Is the government doing enough, or is it employers who should be doing more?