The Consorzio Oltrepó Mantovano, in partnership with the Municipality of Suzzara, organized a local forum to present the pilot investment in Suzzara to the public. The event took place on 14th February at the Piazzalunga Cultural Center in Suzarra.
Mr. Alessandro Guastalli, Mayor of Suzzara, opened the meeting. He welcomed the cooperation with Consorzio Oltrepò Mantovano in the framework of the RuralMED Mobility project. Guastalli emphasized the importance of addressing sustainable mobility challenges in the region, promoting new solutions. Local residents suffer from the inefficiency of public transport, so reaching essential services without owning a car is challenging. In addition, the cultural shift to e-mobility is still lacking, so the RuralMED Mobility project represents a way to foster this among the local population.
Broader efforts for sustainable mobility
Mrs. Carmelita Trentini, Director of Consorzio Oltrepò Mantovano, took the floor next. She underlined that RuralMED Mobility is not the only initiative that the Consorzio Oltrepò is planning and implementing. E-mobility and sustainable mobility are also being addressed through the ‘Regional Inner Areas Strategy‘, funded by Lombardy Region. It includes several investment in e-cars and e-vans, which will strengthen the local public transportation services for vulnerable groups, such as elderly or migrants. In this sense, the area of Oltrepò Mantovano is working to propose solutions to the need, expressed by citizens, of having mobility solutions alternative to the owning of a thermic car.
Afterwards, Mr. Simone Taddei, Coordinator of the Consorzio Oltrepò Projects Office, presented to the participants an overview about the RuralMED Mobility project: its budget and duration, list of partners, objectives and expected goals. The Suzzara pilot investment was explained in detail, including its positioning, functioning and the benefits for local citizens. It aims to demonstrate that on-demand e-mobility solutions are feasible and effective also in rural areas, not only in urban settings. This action can therefore act as a “trigger” to develop a spread network of e-mobility stations across the Oltrepò Mantovano region.
Expert Insights on Sustainable Mobility
The final speaker was Mr. Massimo Infunti, an external expert hired by Consorzio Oltrepò to support the development of the area’s mobility strategy. He discussed the unique challenges of rural mobility, focusing on solutions that are both sustainable and accessible. Infunti emphasized the need for electric vehicles and low-emission technologies to reduce environmental impact.
Infunti introduced the idea of on-demand transport services, which will be activated through the pilot investment. This model can offer flexibility and convenience to users, especially in areas with low population density. He also spoke about the opportunities offered by sharing mobility, such as car sharing and bike sharing. These services can reduce the number of private vehicles and promote a more efficient use of resources. E-bikes offer an environmentally friendly solution for covering short and medium distances. Integrating them with other means of transport can create a multimodal mobility system.
The expert concluded his speech by reiterating the need for innovative and sustainable solutions to improve mobility in rural areas. He invited those present to consider the opportunities offered by new technologies and alternative transport models.
The event successfully highlighted the potential impact of the RuralMED Mobility project in fostering a sustainable, efficient, and accessible transportation network for the residents of Suzzara and the wider Oltrepò Mantovano area.
