Mobility aids for homeless people and large families in Emilia Romagna Region

Social public funds for €1.5 million are available in the Emilia Romagna Region to support the mobility program.

Public transport has become more supportive in the Emilia Romagna Region in Italy by the increasing assistance to large families and the homeless. Both the regional agreement on reduced rates for people in need, and the 'regional mobility program' have been renewed.

The regional government has decided to extend the already implemented program that supports the most needed people, and to facilitate discounted rates for the annual transport passes to some additional categories. From now on, municipalities in the region will also be able to fully support the costs of public transport passes for the homeless.

In addition, discounted passes will also be available throughout 2021 for relatively low-income families with four or more children through the program “Mi muovo insieme”. The region has extended the income limits to access to this aid from €18,000 to €28,000 a year giving the opportunity for more families to be favoured.

The Vice President of the Region and the Regional Councillor for Transport stated: "A fair measure that takes into account the difficult moment of sanitary emergency and economic and social crisis triggered by the pandemic. With this initiative, we guarantee the support and the right to mobility of the most vulnerable city users, ensuring them the best accessibility and usability of the regional territory in an environmentally sustainable way.”

Municipalities will have to take care of issuing the certificates for homeless people who need to use local public transport as part of a social insertion path (certified by the regional social services) while raising awareness of the compliance with the rules for travelling by public transport. At the same time municipalities will have to provide transport companies with a list of people who have been issued with the season pass for appropriate checks and monitoring.

Original article published by Regione Emilia Romagna on 10 February 2021