He has worked at the fair since 2004 and, in twenty years, he has always used the bicycle to travel from home to work: a daily routine which, in his case, requires at least 15 kilometers of pedaling on the outward journey and the same number on the return journey. Yes, because Lucrezia Bologna, who at Ieg holds the role of sales account for the Sigep event, does not live exactly around the corner, but between Riccione and Misano Adriatico. And, despite having a license and driving a car regularly, she has never considered the idea of moving around with an alternative means of transport to two wheels. “I would never have imagined, however, that I would also receive financial recognition for my choice, due only to my love for cycling and outdoor physical activity”, she smiles.
Instead, thanks to ‘bike to work’ – the initiative implemented by the municipality of Rimini, in collaboration with the region, to promote sustainable mobility – Lucrezia Bologna and the other 105 employees of the six Rimini companies that join the project can be rewarded if they use the bike as a means of transport between home and work, instead of the car. The incentive is equal to 20 cents per kilometre, for a maximum of 50 euros per month, paid directly into the paycheck. The Ieg employee, among other things, received a mention from the Municipality for having ‘ground’ more kilometres, out of a total of over 56,500 accumulated by those who participated in the ‘bike to work’ in 2023. “Biking is in my blood – declares Bologna – I inherited the passion from my father. At his age, he still rides a racing bike every day. 2023 was the first year in which, in December, I felt the incentive on my paycheck (300 euros), but I would do it anyway because I love moving in the open air. Now it’s even simpler, because they gave me a pedal-assisted bike, which helps me especially when, on the way home, I stop to do something. shopping”.
The questions that incredulous people ask her most often are: how long the journeys take and whether she is used to cycling in all weather conditions.
“On the way out I take three quarters of an hour; on the way back I take it a little more leisurely – he explains – it can take me up to 50 minutes. I doubt that moving by car between Rimini and Misano, in the height of summer or during rush hour, would allow faster journeys. Apart from a few days characterized by truly adverse weather – but you can count them on the fingers of one hand – I always take the bike, carrying a change of clothes in the side bags, which affects me marginally, because I cycle in the morning early or late afternoon. And the electric bike means you get to the office without being sweaty.” “It can be done” is Bologna’s response to the many who, every day, ask her how she does it. “It can be done” even if you have a family, like her; “it can be done” even if you are afraid of not being particularly familiar with possible mechanical unexpected events, such as punctures. “Except for serious physical impediments – she says – the limits are, most of the time, only in our heads.”
Maddalena De Franchis
