Last August 4, the Council of Ministers approved the Social Plan for the Climate, the document that Italy was required to present to Brussels pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2023/955, which establishes the Social Fund for the Climate for the period 2026-2032. The text was sent to the European Commission on 6 August and, among the measures it contains, there is one intended to directly affect the wallets of commuters, students and workers with low incomes: the new transport bonus, renamed “My mobility account”.
Because it is born now
The Plan is the prerequisite for accessing the European resources of the Social Climate Fund and represents the instrument with which Italy intends to protect vulnerable families and micro-enterprises from the effects of Ets2, the new emissions trading system extended to construction and road transport. The government’s reasoning is linear: if Ets2 will increase the price of fossil fuels and, consequently, that of public transport tickets, those who have less economic room for maneuver must have targeted support. The overall resources of the Plan are close to 9.3 billion euros for the period 2026-2032, seven of which come from the European fund and the remainder from national co-financing. Over 4.6 billion are allocated to the transport component, the largest of the entire package.
A credit, no longer a voucher
The difference compared to the past is not only in the amount. The old bonus was a one-off voucher, usable for a single purchase and up to a maximum of 60 euros. The mobility account works differently, given that it is a personal credit loaded onto a digital wallet, which can be spent for twelve months from issue and, at least in intention, can be used for different types of securities, from single tickets to local and regional public transport season tickets. Whether the perimeter will also expand to taxis and NCCs will be established by the implementing decree, expected by March 2027; until then there remain more hypotheses than certainties. Management should pass through a dedicated platform, the Pmes (Eco-Solidarity Mobility Platform): if it is not ready in time for the start of the measure, we will still start with a QR code to be presented to obtain the discount.
Who can ask for the bonus
Here the mechanism becomes more complex. There will not be a click day, but a ranking built on a score from 0 to 100. The bulk of the points depends on the ISEE: those who stay under 10 thousand euros get the maximum, 60 points; between 10 thousand and 15 thousand you get 45; between 15 thousand and 20 thousand it drops to 25. Over 20 thousand euros of ISEE, exclusion is automatic. Another 20 points are linked to the distance between home and place of work or study (the maximum for those who exceed 30 kilometres, 10 points beyond 10 kilometres, 5 below that threshold) while 10 extra points go to those who do not own a car and the same number to those who have recently had a monthly or annual vehicle subscription. Under 35 points, even appearing in the ranking is of little use: the bonus is unlikely to arrive. The exceptions are family caregivers, people with disabilities and those undergoing continuous health treatments that require frequent travel: for them the score is 100 regardless.
The three amount bands
The amount, consequently, will not be the same for everyone. Anyone who scores between 35 and 54 points will receive 100 euros, anyone who scores between 55 and 79 points will get 200, while the 400 euros, i.e. the maximum limit, will only be available to those who exceed 80 points. However, the bonus cannot be added to other existing regional or municipal benefits, which brings us back to the present: in 2026 the national transport bonus has not been confirmed, but several Regions have taken action on their own. Lombardy has the Dote Trasporti and Io Viaggio in Famiglia for accompanied under 14s; Veneto offers a voucher of up to 200 euros for annual season tickets; Piedmont has introduced a Tpl bonus of up to 150 euros for student season tickets; Umbria discounts integrated railway passes by 20%; in Rome, under 19s can purchase the annual Metrebus for 50 euros, without ISEE limits. Appointment in March 2027 for the implementing decree.
