Source:  Carla Giaume, Eltis

Any Italian company or business activity that invested in the purchase of a cargo bike for its daily activities in 2021 will now be able to receive up to 30% of the total expense. According to a decree published in the Italian Official Gazette, the incentive will be “in the form of a tax credit” and is up to a maximum of €2,000.

The Italian government has allocated €2million to the scheme, which applies to the purchase of cargo bikes and power-assisted bikes. An online registration is soon to be created with a deadline for submissions to obtain the credit set at 20^th June 2022. 

Cargo bikes are being championed by manufacturers around Europe and their numbers are set to expand. Companies are using cargo bikes for first- and last-kilometres deliveries, while families are encouraged to replace their second cars with cargo bikes and similar modes of transport. The subsidies do only apply to businesses and not personal use, however. 

Elisa Gallo, the president of the FIAB Torino Bike Pride – the Italian Association of Cycling Friends (which recently organised a cargo bike day), and newly elected national councillor of the Italian Environment and Bicycle Federation, commented on the news to RivistaBC: “It is certainly useful to invest in cargo bikes. Italians are beginning to be interested in cargo bikes, however, much more needs to be done. Delivery companies are also more sensitive to their environmental impact. It is certainly desirable for the incentive to be renewed also for 2022.”

The National Association for Cycle and Motorcycle Accessories (ANCMA) remarked that the incentive is still far away from contributing to reach the environmental objectives or the ecological transition and that more are needed to encourage cycling. However, considering the current energy crisis, this could potentially favour a radical change in the way people and goods move, particularly in urban areas.

For more information check the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition (MiTE) Gazzetta Ufficiale