(Finance) – What mobility awaits us? Certainly under the sign of sustainability, road safety and technological research. This is the photograph taken from the conference “The Future of mobility: how will we move in the coming years?” which took place today, organized by “Il Foglio Daily” and by Automobile Club Milan in its historic headquarters in Corso Venezia 43 with focus sulle numerous issues related to transport in general, and in particular to the automobile which confirms itself as the preferred means of transport for Italians. The President of AC Milan underlines this Geronimo La Russa interviewed by Finance on the sidelines of the event, during which he indicated the challenges of today that will shape the mobility of tomorrow.
“We are in a period of great changes which in recent years have also been accelerated by the advent of Covid. I have always been a supporter of soft mobility, bicycles and scooters but it is important to arrive at this transition gradually. To build new roads it is necessary to adapt cities and infrastructures”, he explains The Russian underlining that “we need to build and implement cycle paths but only if we can do it in a protected place, only in such a way that they are not particularly risky for the users themselves”
“Milan specifically – underlines the President of AC Milan again – it is a medieval city, this means that not all streets have the space to accommodate the needs of all road users. I’ll give you a concrete example: in recent days a new cycle path has been opened in Corso Monforte – an access road to the center of Milan – a decidedly complex area: the cycle path has been there for two days but the queue starts 300 meters before and in my opinion there was no need also because there is already a cycle path in the parallel streets”.
“I add that always Milan is a city where you experiment and then apply the modelor even the other large cities in Italy so it is important to talk about it. What I mean is that the car today is still an indispensable means of transport, it always has been, since it was born it has represented an instrument of freedom. Plus it should be remembered that you take the car because there are not yet adequate means of transport. On the contrary, Milan has good public transport, but if we talk about other cities the situation is decidedly critical, it goes without saying the only alternative is the car.”
“Precisely with this in mind, lThe challenge today is to create two things: seriously increase both surface and underground public transport and increase parking, at least those of interchange”.
For months, the discussion on the stop to the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles scheduled for 2035 has been ongoing. In your opinion, is it really possible?
“First of all, I would like to clarify a concept: many subjects pass on incorrect information, namely “everyone will be on foot from 2035”. The correct information, however, is that from 2035 that type of car will no longer be sold, but until we will dispose of the circulating fleet we will be approximately around 2050. Net of this necessary clarification, I believe that it is right to set ourselves objectives, set dates to take stock and try to stimulate but I believe even more that it must be a transition that takes into account everyone’s needs, that it is done with good sense and not with the ideological flags“, explains the President, underlining that to do this “we need the public to do its part by creating public transport alternatives”.
“I’ll give you a personal example – continues La Russa – I often go for work to Bologna, I used to always go there by car, but for several years now I’ve opted for the Red Arrow: it takes an hour instead of two, I can work while traveling and I’m definitely happy to pollute less. But I can do it because I was given the opportunity to be able to do that.”
2023 was an important year for AC Milan which celebrated 120 years: many initiatives, including an exhibition to celebrate and retrace the most significant stages of a long journey. What projects are in the pipeline to continue promoting the automobile by supporting motorists?
“This one of the 1s20 years has undoubtedly been a challenging yearthe celebrations, the exhibition, we are busy with the renovation of the Monza Autodromo and we are at the forefront of the transformations we have talked about, promoting and protecting the right to mobility for everyone°, underlines the President again who adds: “The objective is to continue on this path, to continue to be protagonists, providing our territory, and therefore motorists, with increasingly efficient services.”
“Without forgetting that it is for us training is strategic, precisely in this perspective we carry out many initiatives in schools and workplaces because there is no mobility without awareness, preparation and safety”, concludes President La Russa.