Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Progressive increase in registrations over one thousand percent, the service will be reactivated soon

Milan, January 27 2021 - Approximately 32 thousand taxi vouchers were used between 18 August and 31 December 2020, thanks to the voucher system different categories of citizens were able to use public cars at discounted rates.

The service, regulated on a monthly basis, has recorded exponential growth over the months: in August 524 vouchers were requested, in September 2.537, in October 3.171, in November 5.896 and in December 28.197 (the use of the first 15 has yet to be counted days of January) a sign that the service, once known, has spread widely among citizens who appreciated it. If we compare September (the first full month) with December there is an increase in registrations that exceeds one thousand percent.

All residents of Milan over 65 years of age, people with 65% disability, women who had to travel between 18pm and 6am, minors resident in Milan and their parents were able to request the taxi voucher, pregnant women, people on life-saving therapy. Furthermore, the healthcare personnel which includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists, OSS, Asa and healthcare technicians operating in all the healthcare and social healthcare facilities in Milan, in hospital facilities located in the Municipality of Milan as well as at the San Raffaele and Humanitas hospitals or who are resident in Milan.

Among the eligible categories, taxi vouchers were requested by 4.619 people over 65 years of age, 3.870 people in the care of the Social Policies Directorate (elderly and frail disabled people), 3.221 women, 867 people with disabilities, 403 pharmacists, doctors, nurses, healthcare workers resident in Milan and 560 working in Milan alone, 225 minors and parents, 180 pregnant women and 21 people undergoing life-saving therapies.

For taxi vouchers, a contribution was defined equal to the overall cost of the ride for people over 65 and disabled people in particularly fragile situations, according to the evaluation of the Social Policy Directorate. As regards all the other categories, the contribution was always a maximum of 10 euros for each taxi ride - made with a credit card, debit card (ATM) or prepaid card in the applicant's name - for a maximum of two uses per day .

The voucher was distributed electronically, through a web app developed by the Municipality's technicians, so that the presence of citizens was not necessary. The contribution to cover the voucher was paid directly to taxi drivers following reporting of the trip made thanks to the collaboration of the radio taxi and could be used on all taxis and radio taxis operating in Milan.

The taxi bonus service in 2020 was provided thanks to the resources of the Covid-19 emergency fund collected by Milan and allocated on the basis of the priorities indicated by the city council. In the meantime, in December government funds became available for taxi vouchers and Milan, which had requested them in advance, will be able to use them in 2021, as indicated in the "milleproroghe" decree recently approved by Parliament. 

The Administration had allocated 700.000 euros for taxi vouchers and around 314 thousand euros are still available.  

"The taxi bonus has an important function, which is why we are reorganizing it according to new criteria defined by the national decree - declares the councilor for Mobility Marco Granelli -. A comparison with the taxi categories is already planned this week, which will be followed by a council resolution for the definition of the system. We also expect a simplification in the delivery methods in light of the experience gained in recent months. The numbers tell us that there has been a significant progressive increase, especially starting from November and December, with tens of thousands of vouchers provided, it is clear that the taxi bonus has an important function, it is important to continue in the months between February and June, when national resources can be spent".

The decree slightly modifies the criteria highlighted to identify the recipients of the taxi bonus: it provides that the vouchers are intended for physically disabled people or people with reduced mobility, with confirmed pathologies, or people belonging to families more exposed to the economic effects deriving from the emergency epidemiological from the Covid-19 virus, or people in need, all exclusively resident in the Municipality of Milan. The new bonus will allow a contribution equal to half the cost of the trip to be made.