Transport poverty revealed in Italy: a phenomenon that traps 7 million people. In a country that is increasingly aiming for a sustainable and inclusive future, an alarming fact emerges: over 7 million Italians live in a condition defined as “transport poverty”. This is a profound social vulnerability that manifests itself in the inability to bear the costs of mobility or in the lack of access to essential transport to reach work, services and social opportunities. This photograph emerges from the first Green Paper on transport poverty in Italypresented in Milan by the Transport Poverty Lab (TPLab), an initiative of the Foundation for Sustainable Development.
The report, sponsored by important institutions such as the European Commission and the Ministries of the Environment and Infrastructure, turns the spotlight on an often invisible reality but with a devastating impact on the daily lives of millions of people, compromising equity and full participation in social and economic life.
The map of vulnerability: inequalities and territorial gaps
- The numbers presented by Green Paper they are eloquent and outline a multi-speed Italy in terms of mobility. Around 1.2 million families find themselves simultaneously facing the risk of general poverty and particularly high mobility costs. But it is the data on the 7.3 million citizens living in areas with an insufficient public transport offer that is most striking.
The territorial gap is dramatic: while Milan boasts over 16,000 seat-km per inhabitant and the national average stands at 4,623, in some areas of the South, such as Sardinia and Sicily, the figure drops below 200 seat-km. At a regional level, Calabria records the highest share of vulnerable families, exceeding 10%, while Trentino-Alto Adige falls below 2%. These disparities highlight how sustainable mobility and access to transportation are not just environmental issues, but fundamental pillars for social equity.
The four types of transport poverty
To better understand the phenomenon, the Green Paper identifies four macro-types of vulnerable citizens, distinguishing between those who struggle to bear the costs and those who do not have access to the necessary means:
Added to these is “induced vulnerability”, a phenomenon that occurs when European measures for sustainable mobility have an economic impact on citizens and micro-enterprises. To combat it, the Social Climate Fund will mobilize around 85 billion euros between 2026 and 2032, of which 9 will be earmarked for Italy.
A decalogue of solutions for fairer mobility
The Green Paper does not limit itself to photographing the problem, but proposes a real “decalogue of measures” to combat transport poverty, drawing inspiration from the European Regulation and the Guidance on the Social Climate Plans. The actions focus on two macro-categories:
- Facilitate access to zero and low emission vehicles: with financial support, tax incentives for purchase or leasing, investments in smart charging infrastructure, scrapping bonuses for polluting vehicles and subsidies for micro-businesses.
- Facilitate access to shared and sustainable mobility: through the promotion of bicycles and micromobility, incentives for the use of public transport (including with social tariffs), support for on-demand and sharing mobility services, extension of the public transport offer in rural areas and creation of mobility hubs.
International examples such as the “Mobility Wallet”, already tested in Los Angeles, Brussels and France, demonstrate how income-related digital wallets can facilitate access to mobility services.
The voices of experts: the commitment to change
The institutions and actors involved underline the urgency of action. Hon. Vannia Gava, Deputy Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, highlights how the Social Climate Plan will allocate 9 billion euros to Italy to strengthen public transport and mobility on demand, including vouchers for vulnerable users.
Edo Ronchi, President of the Foundation for Sustainable Development, reiterates that the ecological transition must be an opportunity for everyone, not a constraint, and that the transport sector is the only one in Italy not to have reduced emissions since 1990. Giuseppina Gualtieri, Vice President of Asstra and CEO of Tper, underlines the commitment to accessibility and the right to use public transport.
Fabrizio Garavaglia of Nordcom highlights the role of digital solutions in combating transport poverty, while Raimondo Orsini, Coordinator of the TPLab, underlines how transport poverty does not only concern the most disadvantaged strata, but impacts on the economic development of the entire Italian system, requiring strong and courageous national and regional policies.
Towards a more equitable and sustainable future
Transport poverty is a complex challenge that requires a holistic and integrated approach. The Green Paper of the TPLab marks a fundamental step towards awareness and action, laying the foundations for policies that not only reduce emissions, but guarantee all citizens, regardless of income or residence, the right to accessible and dignified mobility. Only in this way will we be able to build a truly fair and sustainable society, in which no one is left behind on the path to decarbonisation and progress.
