The future in Cagliari will be electric

The city was one of the stops on the Clean Cities tour

This past weekend (27 March), the Italian environmental organization Legambiente stopped in Cagliari to bring attention to the need for drastic and sustainable improvement in its public transport system and traffic flow network in order to counteract negative effects. Officials from the association, together with representatives from CTM (the local public transport operator) organized a flash mob and a webinar in order to raise awareness and call on the authorities to finance a plan for electrifying the bus fleet.

The Clean Cities tour will visit 14 Italian cities that need to do more in terms of green mobility

After taking a ride, as a so-called ‘flashmob’ event, on an electrical bus that was initially meant to serve the historical centre of Cagliari but has been converted to another line, the Legambiente representatives submitted a symbolical ‘Town Report’ to the local municipality at a press conference.

The report showed that the Sardinian city lost 5.8% of its GDP to costs related to health and social issues arising from pollution in the city (things, such as loss of years of life, hospitalizations and workdays). What is more, the concentration of fine dust particles there slightly exceeded the limit value set by the World Health Organization, and that in a year when traffic had decreased due to the pandemic restrictions. And just like other Italian cities, there were 65 cars per 100 inhabitants, an average that far exceeds the European levels.

“Climate change and the effects of pollution on health require a change of pace towards zero-emission mobility by 2030. The report card of the city of Cagliari highlights the criticalities of mobility still focused on cars," said Annalisa Colombu, president of Legambiente Sardinia. "To change mobility, it is necessary to complete the SUMP, strengthen the cycle network and encourage the use of bicycles and pedestrian traffic, electrify the entire local public transport fleet, extend the '30 zones' in the neighbourhoods, create exchange parking spaces throughout the 'entrance of cities’”.

Something, however, is being done with the reported addition of 11 kilometres of bicycle paths in the past months. Electrified public transport covers 25% of the local network but Roberto Porrà, the president of CTM also explained that his company knows what needs to be done ahead.

“The renewal plan for the entire CTM electric fleet is ready, and will cost 156 million euros in less than 15 years,” he said. “A plan for the renewal of vehicles and infrastructures that will see funding from MIT to the municipality of Cagliari for 7,200,000 euros and from the Metropolitan City of Cagliari for 30 million euros. The future in Cagliari will be electric.”

The Clean Cities awareness-raising tour will conclude on 9 April, having checked in at 14 Italian cities.