Florence to Pay Drivers for Cycling Instead of Driving
The government of the Italian city of Florence has allocated 1.2 million euros for a special program to encourage drivers to use bicycles instead of cars. The program, starting on June 3 and lasting for a year, aims to "promote a shift in transportation habits towards more sustainable and healthy modes of transport," as reported by The Mayor.
The incentive program offers participants the opportunity to earn up to 30 euros per month. According to its rules, each driver will receive 20 euro cents per kilometre when cycling instead of driving a car, plus an additional five euro cents per kilometre if the bicycle remains within the municipality of Florence. People who already use bicycles will receive up to 15 cents per kilometre.
Registration for the program is possible from May 13 through the Pin Bike app. After registration, potential participants will be sent an anti-fraud device, which is also used for certification, monitoring, and gamifying city bike routes. This hardware device will be attached to the bicycle and will certify its actual use during trips. Additionally, users will receive a smartphone holder for the handlebars and signalling lights. However, initially, only 2,000 of these kits will be distributed at the start of the program.
The Florence city government states that regular daily earnings are not the sole incentive to become part of this program. Each month, bonuses of 100 euros will be awarded to 200 users who accumulate the most points in the app through various "virtuous actions," including the number of kilometres cycled and participation in city events and surveys.
Recall that The Gaze reported that Kristo Enn Vaga, a member of the Estonian Parliament's Defence Committee and the parliamentary group "Ukraine - Estonia," decided to cycle from Tallinn to Kyiv to raise funds for the support of Ukraine and its Armed Forces. It's worth noting that the distance from Tallinn to Kyiv is approximately 1,700 kilometres, which the deputy covered in about a week.