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Soon taking a bus in Genoa could be a free-of-charge experience, Source: Depositphotos

Genoa mayor envisages free public transport in 2024

Genoa mayor envisages free public transport in 2024

If realized, this would make it the first Italian city with such a public good for its residents

Two days ago, on 9 November, Marco Bucci, the mayor of Genoa, expressed a goal for his city to be the first in Italy to introduce free public transport sometime in 2024. More specifically, his idea is to have free public bus services for the residents of the Ligurian capital, saying that it would take 65-70 million euros a year to foot the bill for that offer.

"We are busy finding some money and now if we put the congestion charge - that is the tax to circulate in the centre - as in Milan, we can see where we’ll arrive." That’s how the mayor gave more details on the idea of funding the proposal, as quoted by ANSA news agency.

If he’s successful and this becomes a reality, it would make Genoa one of the few European cities to offer free public transit and the first such in Italy.

Genoa has already been experimenting with no-fee public transit

That the Ligurian capital could be a pioneer in that respect should come as no surprise. The Municipality has already made attempts to experiment with this solution. From November 2021 to December of this year, the free vertical transport service has been active through the use of funiculars and lifts. These devices are quite important and helpful considering the uneven topography of the city.

The Genoese really liked the initiative with the 33% increase in the use of vertical vehicles, 25% who used free vehicles changed their travel habits and 25% of those who used it had the habit of travelling with their private vehicle. For almost a year, free vertical transport has been active in the time slot from 10:00 to 18:00.

Mobility is a topic that is close to the heart of Marco Bucci, who is also carrying out a project for the digitization of the roads.

"We are completing the complete digitization of all the city roads including the motorways, and then perhaps also the metropolitan city. We need to know who moves, how they move and where they move".

Knowing this means being able to avoid queues, lengthen or decrease traffic lights and above all manage parking. The real worry of the Genoese is in fact the parking lots but the mayor reassures: "There will be an app that as soon as you enter a street will show you the nearest parking. Obviously there will be benefits for those who enter the city in an ecological way".

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