In 2016, the struggle against smog and the desire to promote more sustainable mobility on its territory led the municipality of Milan to follow the French example: a compensation of some ten cents per km for those who decide to use the bike for their everyday moves from home to work and vice versa.
Milan head towards to the allocation of at least a part of the 35 million allocated by the government, to be precise by the Ministry of the Environment, in favor of those municipalities that will present innovative eco-sustainable mobility projects for their territory.
The same project has been very successful in France in 2015: Citizens certify the moviments by bike through an app on the mobile phone and receive a compensation of 25 cents per km.
Milan’s “Bike Plan” has yet to set up repayments and precise arrangements, but the road is now decides. The Mobility Manager of the Politecnico di Milano has already been consulted about it and confirms that soon all data will be disclosed. There is nothing but waiting for the opening of the government’s announcement.
Although the Smog Emergency has now subsides, the French idea might be the right solution to avoid a new emergency in the coming years. If the citizens of Milan join the initiative, leaving the car at home, levels of toxic powders and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would be greatly reduced in the city. Not to mention the benefit from less busy roads and therefore far less dangerous and more livable by the whole population.
And you? Would you go to work on bicycle every day in exchange of a cash compensation?