New year, new bonus. Last August 4, the Council of Ministers approved the so-called “Social Plan for the Climate”, which among the interventions provides, starting from 2027, a new benefit intended for commuters, students and low-income families. The measure will take the place of the voucher, with various innovations, from the requirements to the amounts, up to the points ranking.
The new transport bonus
This plan helps Italy to obtain the European funds necessary to accompany the ecological transition. The aim is to protect low-income citizens and small businesses from future increases in transport and heating costs (ETS2), by financing sustainable mobility, home efficiency and direct economic aid. Among the various measures there is the new transport bonus, which should be activated in 2027. The decree with all the details should arrive by March, while the benefit should remain in force until 2032. The objective is to support those who could be affected by an increase in the price of fossil fuels, and therefore also of transport tickets, due to the new European Ets2 mechanism, which will become fully active in 2028.
Goodbye vouchers
In the past, the transport bonus consisted of a voucher that could reach up to 60 euros and could be used to purchase a season ticket. The new bonus, however, changes its structure: the so-called “Mobility Account” is envisaged, i.e. a personal credit loaded onto a digital wallet in the person’s name, which can reach a maximum of 400 euros per year and be used for 12 months after issuance. Exactly what the credit can be used for will be discovered with the implementing decree: in addition to tickets and season tickets for local and regional public transport, in fact, it could also be extended to other services such as taxis and NCC.
The Pmes platform
The transport bonus, therefore, will not be a voucher for a single purchase but will consist of a sum that can be used to purchase different titles, from tickets to season passes, for various local public transport services. The benefit will last 12 months from the moment of issue and cannot be cumulated with other regional or municipal transport bonuses. The incentive should be managed with a new specific online platform, called Pmes (Eco-Solidarity Mobility Platform). In the event that it is not possible to make the site active together with the launch of the bonus, initially we will proceed with the QR Codes to be used to obtain the discounts.
The requirements and the points classification
The estimated audience of beneficiaries is approximately 1.65 million citizens per year. There will not be a click day, but the government will draw up a ranking after collecting all the applications. Anyone who requests to obtain the bonus will be able to have a score from 0 to 100 based on various elements. Most of the points will be linked to the ISEE, others will be assigned depending on the distance from the place of work or study and still others if you do not own a car or have a season ticket. Anyone with an ISEE over 20 thousand euros will be excluded from the possible beneficiaries of the transport bonus, while those with an ISEE under 10 thousand euros will have the maximum score, i.e. 60 points, for the others there are intermediate brackets of 45 points (under 15 thousand euros) and 25 points (above 15 thousand euros).
Regarding the distance between home and place of study or work, the maximum score (20 points) goes to those who exceed 30 kilometers of distance, beyond 10 kilometers you get 10 points, below that threshold 5 points. For unemployed, precarious, self-employed people and so on, the city indicated as the usual destination will be taken into consideration. Ten extra points will go to those who do not own a car, another 10 points to those who, in the recent past, have had a monthly or annual transport subscription. Some categories will automatically receive 100 points, namely family caregivers who assist people with disabilities, people with disabilities and people undergoing ongoing healthcare treatments that require frequent travel.
The amounts
The transport bonus can reach a maximum amount of 400 euros per year. In fact, there are three groups of beneficiaries who will receive a certain sum based on the score in the ranking. Those who have obtained between 35 and 54 points will have a bonus worth 100 euros, those who have between 55 and 79 points will get 200 euros, with at least 80 points they will be entitled to the maximum quota of 400 euros. In any case, to know all the details on the bonus you will need to wait for the implementing decree.
Other concessions
As mentioned, this new bonus takes the place of the 60 euro voucher, but some local authorities have provided alternative concessions. In Lombardy there is Dote Trasporti, aimed at those who use certain railway connections, while for children there is also Io Viaggio in Famiglia, which allows minors under 14 to travel for free under certain conditions when accompanied by a family member with a valid travel document. In Veneto, a voucher of up to 200 euros is active for the purchase of annual passes for local public transport. The local public transport bonus has been introduced in Piedmont, designed to encourage the transition from cars to public transport and contribute to reducing pollution. The contribution can reach up to 150 euros and concerns the purchase or reimbursement of annual or multi-monthly subscriptions for students.