Cash for cycling: polluted Milan might pay commuters to bike to work

With its serious pollution problem and notorious driving styles, Milan is hardly renowned as a cycle-friendly city - but a radical new scheme aims to change that

Famed for Vespas, Fiat 500s and a somewhat erratic driving style, Italy is not a land known for a thriving cycling culture. While the metropolises of northern Europe have invested in innovative solutions to get citizens on their bikes, in the bel paese the car remains king.

But now Italy's economic powerhouse, Milan, is seeking to bring back the bicicletta by paying people to cycle to work. The move follows the announcement in December of a a35m (27m) government fund for sustainable mobility solutions, after Milan and other parts of the country were hit by dangerous levels of pollution.