500 euro bike bonus, here's how to use it

The resumption of almost all activities starting from 18 May, and the simultaneous difficulty of guaranteeing fully operational means of public transport, led the Government to think of an alternative to encourage so-called "soft mobility", i.e. avoiding the most It is possible that everyone is forced to use the car and at the same time supporting a virtuous supply chain (Italy is the second largest producer of bicycles in the world), whose offer has recently been enriched with pedal assisted bikes and scooters. So here comes the 500 euro bonus (or up to 60% of the expenditure) for the purchase of bicycles, e-bikes, electric scooters and other means of micromobility. But exactly what can you buy, who can take advantage of the bonus and how do you get it? Here is the point guide.

WHAT TO BUY

With the mobility voucher you receive a contribution (covering 60% of the expenditure, up to a maximum of 500 euros) for the purchase of: bicycles, even with pedal assistance, or other electric micro-mobility vehicles such as scooters, hoverboards and segways. It is also possible to spend the voucher for the use of the services sharing mobility, such as bike sharing and scooter sharing (but not for car sharing).

WHEN TO BUY

The bonus will be in effect until December 31 2020. It enters into force from 18 May, but with retroactive effect to be traced back to the beginning of Phase 2: that is, it will also be applicable for eligible purchases already made starting from 4 May 2020.

WHO CAN ASK

The bonus for the purchase of the provided means is due to adults who reside in the regional capitals, in the metropolitan cities, in the provincial capitals, or in any case in the Municipalities with population more than 50.000 inhabitants.

HOW TO ASK

La procedure will be all online, through a web application that the Ministry of the Environment is preparing. If the purchase is made immediately at one's own expense (or has already been made between 4 and 17 May), one must keep the supporting document of the expense (the invoice) and connect to the platform with the Spid credentials (Public Digital Identity System ). In this way you will get the expected refund.

Otherwise, for expenses still to be done, you can log in in the same way and generate a sort of discount coupon directly on the web application. You will have to indicate on the platform the means or service you intend to purchase and the platform will generate an electronic shopping voucher which will then be delivered to the authorized suppliers.

HOW MUCH IS REFUNDED

Warning: the bonus is not 500 euros tout court. The bonus, to be precise, covers 60% of the costup to a maximum of 500 euros. For example, for the purchase of a 200 euro bike, 120 euros will be refunded. For the purchase of a 2.000 euro pedal assisted bike, the refund will not go beyond 500 euro.

AUTONOMOUS PROVINCE OF TRENTO

The province of Trento has established a different formula. The bonus excludes mountain bikes and is valid only for new city bikes and e-bikes. For the latter, the figure rises to 600 euros, while for traditional bikes it is limited to 100 euros, regardless of the percentage of expenditure covered. Applications can be submitted exclusively online on the websites of the municipalities concerned, which are Arco, Pergine, Riva del Garda, Rovereto, Trento (the only ones with more than 15.000 inhabitants).

To complete the application you need: access with identification via Spid or Cps (health card); "free" access with manual compilation of the identification data and attachment of a copy of the applicant's identity document in addition to the signed declaration of the retailer. In case of unavailability of IT tools, the application can also be made at the municipal offices or counters. The purchase date in this case must be after May 18, 2020 and in any case preceded by the acceptance of the request by the municipality. It is therefore not a refund but a bonus to be requested before the purchase.