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Paying to ride a bike or fighting for clean air
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
The authorities of Milan, as well as in other large European cities, are concerned about environmental issues, in particular harmful emissions into the atmosphere. It is worth noting that 8 years ago Milan was recognized as the pollution capital of all of Europe. At the end of last year, a three-day ban on cars was introduced in Milan and Rome in order to reduce the amount of harmful substances in the air.
Recently, the Italian authorities allocated $35 million for eco-friendly mobility solutions, and Milan intends to use part of this amount as payment for those who give up their cars in favor of bicycles. The idea of paying cyclists arose about 2 years ago in France, when workers were asked to commute to work by bicycle to reduce the level of harmful emissions into the atmosphere. At that time, only a few hundred people out of 8 thousand agreed to participate in the program.
As noted by Ralf Buehler, a professor at Virginia Tech, it is not enough to simply offer money to cyclists; other measures must be introduced to help realize the importance of the problem. In his statement, Dr. Buehler cited one of the studies conducted in the United States, which found that more than half of the population wants to influence the environmental situation to some extent, but has some doubts about cycling. According to Buehler, people should ensure safety while riding, then many more people will switch from four-wheeled to two-wheeled transport. Money for cycling will not attract those who have doubts, and this, Buehler noted, is more than 50% of the population.
It is necessary to pay attention to the creation of bicycle paths, special parking spaces, showers - then many more people will choose bicycles. Of course, driving a car can be made more difficult and expensive, but it is possible to influence the choice of citizens in other ways, for example, by equipping pedestrian and bicycle paths, good public transport, etc.
Today, the best cycling infrastructure is presented in Copenhagen, however, an extremely small percentage of people here prefer two-wheeled transport, while this type of transport is chosen by only 6% due to its low cost, the majority prefer bicycles, since it is a fast and easy way to get to their destination. But according to a survey, only 1% of cyclists in Copenhagen chose this type of transport due to environmental issues.
Polluted air is one of the reasons why people refuse to ride bicycles, so the idea of paying for cycling is a good incentive, but if the city is filled with harmful emissions, it will not give the desired result.
In Milan, as in any large city, there is very heavy traffic on the roads and many simply do not risk riding a bicycle on par with two-ton cars. The air in megacities is already heavily polluted, so people have no desire to breathe in additional toxins.
Paying for cycling should be part of a larger program that includes road safety, dedicated bike lanes, and secure bike parking. Paying people to ride is not enough to solve air pollution and traffic congestion.
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