From the National Recovery and Resilience Plan comes 1.9 billion euros for the purchase of ecological buses and the construction of ad hoc infrastructures. "Today the Unified Conference has given the green light to one of the most important investments both in terms of size, they are 1.9 billion, but also on a symbolic level, namely the purchase and construction of infrastructure for ecological buses in medium and large size municipalities ". Thus the Minister of Infrastructure, Enrico Giovannini, at a press conference taking stock of the implementation of the NRP.

«It is a transformation of the public transport system - specifies the owner of Mims - which is very complex. And this financing will allow to accelerate those who have already started in this direction and will allow those who have not yet done so to purchase the vehicles and equip their depots with electrification and new tools ".

"With the agreement - explains Giovannini - MIMs reaches 96.5% of allocation to all implementing bodies. We are talking about 59 billion out of 61.4 pertaining to our ministry. In the country there is a lot of attention to the NRP and sometimes even skepticism about the possibility that Italy will be able to initiate so many investments and reforms. The work carried out in conference with the Regions in recent months has made it possible to reach agreements for over 25 billion, while other funding went to the Italian railway network and to the port authorities ”.

Gelmini, an agreement on bus fleets is the flagship "The agreement reached on the bus fleets is a flagship not only for Minister Giovannini but for the whole government", said the Minister for Regional Affairs and Autonomies, Mariastella Gelmini, during the press conference to make the point on the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan after the Unified Conference. "It is thanks to the various agreements that we reached within the Conference if it was possible to quickly distribute 25.6 billion between the Regions. Today, thanks to Minister Giovannini, it was possible to tackle the issue of bus fleets but similar agreements have been reached in recent weeks on the front of urban regeneration, the Zes, on infrastructural interventions ", she added. «I also have to thank the president Fedriga because we are working closely to ensure that there is a strong synergy on the various projects of the plan. We know that the plan focuses on the ecological transition on the one hand but also on sustainable mobility on the other, "concluded the minister.

The decree scheme for the renewal of buses

The decree scheme for the renewal of buses, approved today in the Unified Conference, assigns 1.9 billion euros to the capital municipalities of the metropolitan city, to the capital municipalities of the region or autonomous province and to municipalities with a high rate of pollution, for the '' purchase of zero-emission electric or hydrogen-powered buses for local public transport. The resources can also be used for the construction of support infrastructures for refueling and powering vehicles. Municipalities, to access the resources, must submit an expression of interest by committing to the purchase of ecological vehicles according to a precise timing (at least 717 buses by 31 December 2024, to reach 2,690 by 30 June 2026). Supply contracts must be awarded by 31 December 2023.

The electric or hydrogen buses to be purchased must be equipped with equipment for accessing and transporting people with reduced mobility, active passenger counters independently of electronic ticket detection, devices for localization, video surveillance and driver protection devices. Any additional equipment, including bicycle rack structures to facilitate the integration of mobility systems, are eligible for funding up to a maximum of 5% of the total cost of the vehicle.