“To overcome the coronavirus emergency and to restart the Italian cities, exceptional answers and solutions are needed. For this, dear Mayors, do not limit yourself to the ordinary, do not give us back the old cities. Your job requires vision of the future, unprecedented solutions, ability to guide the community towards new frontiers. And today that we have all experienced an exceptional condition, there is no better time to dare the extraordinary. Together we can do it. “
With these words Legambiente writes a letter to the mayors of the Italian cities and to the president of the Anci Antonio Decaro indicating to the first citizens a package of 5 sustainable and concrete measures to rethink the mobility in the city after COVID-19, avoiding that the car, the motorcycles and scooters are the safest solution for citizens to protect themselves from the virus and to move in and out of the urban area. A package that proposed by the environmental association which provides safer public transport, more bikes and new cycle paths in urban areas, the strengthening of sharing mobility, the enhancement of sustainable mobility and green bonuses to encourage citizens to scrape the car, the promotion of smart working, with tax advantages for companies and workers who decide to focus on agile work and community mobility management.
Here are 5 concrete measures to rethink post COVID 19 mobility:
Public transport – In the post coronavirus, the races must be carefully planned, the safety distances must be guaranteed, the city timetables must also be rethought to avoid congestion and traffic during peak times. Continuous and careful monitoring will be essential, both of the vehicles and of the stations, where controls and turnstiles will have to be introduced to contingent the entrances as well as guaranteeing daily sanitization.
Bicycles and cycle paths – The bike is the means that allows the best distancing: for this it is now time to create temporary cycle paths (with horizontal and vertical signs) along the priority axes and the most popular routes, reserving the space to then equip them of protections and exclusive passages aiming to transform them in the following months into real cycle paths. It is the solution that different cities of the world are already practicing. These interventions are at almost zero cost and the resources to create real cycle paths are there: in the Budget Law 2020, 150 million Euros have been allocated for the co-financing of urban cycle paths.
Sharing mobility – The most efficient alternatives to private cars in the city, for those who do not want to take public transport, will have to become all sharing vehicles: cars (better electric), bikes, e-bikes, electric scooters and scooters. Municipalities will have to make agreements with businesses to have more means and in more neighborhoods, at much lower costs. Resources will be needed, but the service can be very successful and in part pay off.
Vehicles Scrapping – “Here the Mayors must be heard, because the resources are there! – writes Legambiente – What is the Ministry of the Environment waiting for to make available the funds for the “Mobility Vouchers Program” envisaged by the Climate decree approved last December? 75 million are foreseen for 2020 and 180 million euros for subsequent years “. It is 1,500 euros for families who scrape an old car that can no longer drive (Euro3 or more polluting) or 500 euros for an old moped, to buy season tickets, e-bikes and sharing mobility. This could immediately halve the average transport expenditure for 250 thousand Italian families (3,500 euros per year according to Istat).
Smart working – Legambiente asked the mayors to push on agile work to reorganize the work of the public administration and help all the activities that choose to go in this direction. Resources will be needed, but above all new ideas and the Government will have to be involved, but there are all the possibilities to reward companies and workers with tax advantages who decide to focus on innovative solutions for smart working and community mobility management.
