By Charlie Campbell 4th year French and Spanish
Charlie Campbell looks at Italy's green friendly initiative for your morning commute.
Bella Mossa (which loosely translates as good job in Italian) is Bologna’s answer to an ever-pressing issue that faces our globalised society: transport pollution. The scheme, which began in 2017 and is funded by the European Union’s sustainable transport project Empower, encourages citizens of this northern Italian metropolis to adopt a more eco-friendly lifestyle through an incentive-based app. Saying arrivederci to your car and opting for greener modes of travel allows you to collect ‘mobility points’ which you can then cash in for various rewards.
Bologna has skilfully harnessed the addictive nature of technology to create a competitive means of enticing civilians into making more sustainable choices. The app’s GPS tracker records and rewards journeys made on bike, train, foot or through car share, which over time can result in prizes such as free beer or gelato. Asides from the obvious advantages such as less CO2 emissions produced and a less congested city centre, Bella Mossa also helps local businesses to put themselves on the map by becoming part of the reward scheme. If that’s not enough, choosing to walk or cycle over taking public transport has a surplus of health benefits, so all in all the scheme is overwhelmingly positive.
Italian city Bologna, rewards for cycling, walking and taking public transport. Bella Mossa I.e. Good job is brainchild of urban planner Marco Amadori. https://t.co/qYZVhvSHKy
— S S Mehta (@ssmehta1758) October 29, 2018
Whilst it is too early to comment on how much pollution Bella Mossa reduces in terms of accurate statistics, the scheme estimates that in 2017 around 700 tonnes of potential CO2 emissions were avoided. However, as with any newly-established project, Bella Mossa hasn’t escaped a certain degree of criticism. Some have called into question how much difference the app will make in the long run and others have lamented the fact it can take several weeks to earn enough points to cash in your reward. They seem to be missing the point; above all the scheme is about engaging with the public, encouraging them to think more about how their decisions will affect the environment around them. Every little counts when it comes to living more sustainably; changing and challenging attitudes is arguably the hardest part. So would a similar scheme work in other cities around the world?
Bristol, a city no stranger to the importance of sustainable living, was crowned the European Green Capital in 2015, and strives to promote a greener future for generations to come. However, as yet, there is no public Bella Mossa-type scheme functioning in the city, at least nothing government funded. If Bristol were to introduce a similar app whereby public transport and greener travel were encouraged over single vehicle occupancy, the potential could be enormous. Not only could a Bristol version of Bella Mossa help to reduce the city’s high levels of air-pollution, but it could also minimize traffic congestion, making Bristol a cleaner and greener space to work, live and travel. It could of course also benefit the many independent local businesses in Bristol who would prosper from being part of the reward scheme.
With the University of Bristol running on a city campus, and the overwhelming majority of students walking, cycling or taking the bus to commute, perhaps we aren’t the specific demographic the app aims to entice. That isn’t to say that as a student body we don’t recognise the importance of living and travelling sustainably. An ethos of sustainable travel is wholly encouraged at Bristol, through car sharing schemes, free bus passes for students in certain halls of residence and free bike repair for cycling students. What’s more, 2018 marks 10 years of Bristol University’s Green Impact Scheme, which encourages teams within residences and departments to create a greener University through sustainable actions. So there really is no better time than now to start being part of the change and collectively working towards bettering our relationship with the environment around us.
More information about becoming involved in Bristol’s Green Impact scheme can be found here:
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/green/get-involved/green-impact/
Featured image: Flickr / Nicola
Do you know of any other city's promoting greener ways to travel? Get in touch!
