A better future on a human scale

by Marzia Fialdini

Cycling is the most efficient means of urban transport: you can travel fast, non-polluting and it has beneficial effects on health. Nevertheless, in Italy it remains a vehicle neglected by most citizens, as evidenced by the last place recently "won" by our country in the European standings on its use.

In recent years, however, bicycles are penetrating the country, along the lines of foreign events, initiatives to promote mobility on two wheels. In particular, the campaign Bike to Work, after being successfully implemented in Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein since 2007 it is also present in Italy and precisely in the town of Bolzano and in Trento. The initiative aims to involve companies and their employees so that they use the bicycle to travel together to work, and to encourage the adhesion there are prizes for those who "pedal" for at least fifteen days in a month.

There are many differences between the Italian campaign and those of other European countries, because there are different contexts and cultural background in which they are made. In Switzerland, to promote the use of bicycle, the administration not only counts on health benefits, but also to create a team spirit among colleagues, who gather every morning in small groups of "bikers". In this way it is possible to improve both the working environment and company image.

In Italy however, where there is still much to be done to promote the use of transportation alternative to the car, the focus of the communication is on spreading the culture of "cycling" and environmental issues. The slogan of the campaign of the Municipality of Trento, for example is: Burn calories not oil.

Finally, another fact that emerges clearly from a comparison of the various campaigns is on the membership of companies: in Italy are mostly public and limited in number, while abroad also private companies participate in very significant numbers, only in Switzerland this year were 1,346 companies in the canton to join the project.

Encouraging data on the second National Bike Day, an initiative promoted by the Ministry of Environment, which was held last May the 8th. The bicycle mobilizes man! this is the slogan designed to know people that ride in town is an environmentally friendly choice and may actually be feasible. The event organized in collaboration with ANCI (Association of Italian Municipalities) and the Italian Cycling Federation, was attended by 1,096 municipalities and the closure to traffic of 1.932.3 kms of local roads: an encouraging start for a better future on a human scale.