Italian city pays cyclists to bike to work

The mayor of Bari, the capital city of southern Italy’s Puglia region, has announced an incentive scheme in which people will be paid to cycle to work.

Those who commute by bike will receive 20 cents (18p) per kilometre of their daily commute in a four-month pilot scheme. Participants could receive up to €25 per month, with an extra €50 bonus up for grabs each month for those who have cycled the highest number of kilometres.

The mayor, Antonio Decaro, has pledged to double the number of people cycling in the city this year. He has also set funding aside to help Bari residents buy bikes; they can apply for €100 towards the cost of buying a second-hand bike, €150 for a new bike, or €250 for an e-Bike.

According to Bari’s chronicle, the experimental project of sustainable mobility is financed with €545 from the Ministry of the Environment. Four cents (3p) will be paid to cyclists for journeys undertaken for reasons other than commuting. Up to 1,000 of the city’s residents will be able to sign up for the scheme.

A list of affiliated dealers who have signed up to the initiative will soon be published on the City’s website.