Barcelona ofrecerá transporte público gratis a los conductores de coches contaminantes

TRT Español: "Barcelona, (EFE).- El Área Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB) ofrecerá a los propietarios de los vehículos más contaminantes la posibilidad de viajar durante tres años de manera gratuita en transporte público a cambio de deshacerse de su coche y convertirlo en chatarra.

Esta propuesta, que se pondría en marcha a partir del año que viene, ha sido adelantada hoy por La Vanguardia y confirmada por el vicepresidente de Transporte y Movilidad de la AMB, Antoni Poveda, en declaraciones a TV3.

Los propietarios de vehículos que se sumen a esta iniciativa, con la que se pretende combatir la alta contaminación atmosférica de la ciudad, recibirán la tarjeta verde, un nuevo título de transporte asociado a un DNI que permite usar los diferentes medios de transporte públicos.

En principio, los coches que podrían ser objeto de este programa son los diesel fabricados antes de 2006 o los de gasolina de más de 20 años.

Además de enviar el coche al desguace, el propietario deberá comprometerse a no comprar ningún otro vehículo."

Free bus passes on the cards for thousands of Birmingham teenagers

Birmingham Mail: "There was firm backing from Ms Nielsen, who said: “Under 19s should have free transport.”

She added that, not only would it help them find work, it could be part of a solution to tackling road congestion.”"

Free public transport in London is the only way to save our environment

The Independent: "While short-term measures alert Londoners to air pollution that is already high, our car-centric culture needs to be challenged to permanently tackle air pollution, not just deal with it on 'spike’ days."

Sadiq Khan urged to follow Paris and offer free public transport to tackle London's air pollution

The Independent : "Campaigners have called on Sadiq Khan to emulate Paris and offer free public transport to tackle air pollution. 

As the French capital suffers the “worst air pollution for 10 years”, activists have urged the Mayor of London to tackle the issue of excessive pollutants in the capital. 

Simon Birkett, Founder and Director of Clean Air in London, told The Independent that Mr Khan must start offering free public transport during periods when air pollution is particularly bad. "

Paris #freepublictransport extended to 4 days

Paris is so smoggy that the city will pay for your bus fare - The Washington Post: "On Thursday, only cars with even-number license plates were allowed to drive, in an effort to limit traffic emissions. On Wednesday, only those with odd-number license plates were allowed. Public transportation has been free since Tuesday. It is the fourth time in 20 years that Paris has had to impose this sort of traffic ban in response to dangerous pollution levels. The free public transport is costing the city an estimated $4.3 million a day, according to the Local news outlet."

'via Blog this'

Public transport helps Swiss commuters stay stress free

SWI swissinfo.ch: "Over half of Swiss workers use public transport to get to work – compared to 34% of Europeans – and they feel less stressed than if they had taken their car, a survey has revealed.
Around 20% of Swiss commuters who use public transport say they feel stressed when they arrive at their place of work. This compares to 32% of car drivers, a Europe-wide survey by the PageGroup recruitment company, published on Tuesday, has found."

Paris to make public transport free for second day

The Local: "The air pollution in Paris is predicted to worsen on Wednesday, with authorities barring many drivers from using their cars and making public transport free for the second day in a row."

Paris public transport is free in smog crackdown

mercurynews : "All day, public transport will be free to encourage its use."

Falling birth rate, best thing for the planet, worst thing for capitalism

German MP proposes ′free basic income′ for parents | Germany | DW.COM | 28.11.2016: "A member of Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union wants parents in Germany to receive a basic income regardless of their means. But this shouldn't be confused with universal basic income, she said."

Dobbins calls for funds to be made available to provide free public transport for people refused driving licences on medical grounds

Derry Now: "Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir has been called on to make funds available to provide free public transport for people who have been refused driving licences on medical grounds."

Free public transport needed to connect people with jobs

SIC pilots free jobseeker transport | Shetland News: "SHETLAND Islands Council is trialling a project that gives unemployed people free public transport to enable them to attend work experience and develop their skills.

Policy manager Emma Perring told a ZetTrans meeting on Friday that a total of nine people has so far taken part, with seven of them subsequently gaining employment and the two others on their way to getting jobs.

The pilot - believed to be one of the first of its kind in Scotland - stemmed directly from research from the recent Tackling Inequalities Commission, which found that the cost of public transport was a pertinent barrier behind people accessing opportunities in Shetland."

Glasgow north west councillor calls for free transport for all school kids

Clydebank Post: "Glasgow Drumchapel/Anniesland Councillor Paul Carey has written to Scotland’s transport minister, Humza Yousaf, proposing all children attending secondary schools to have free access to public transport."

It is likely that we are not even measuring carbon emission correctly

The Washington Post: "Countries around the world are trying to get their greenhouse gas emissions under control — to see them inch down, percentage point by percentage point, from where they stood earlier in the century. If everybody gets on board, and shaves off enough of those percentage points, we just might be able to get on a trajectory to keep the world from warming more than 2 degrees Celsius above the temperature where it stood prior to industrialization.

But if a new study is correct, there’s a big problem: There might be more greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere than we thought. That would mean an even larger need to cut."

EU ‘ready to explore’ free InterRail tickets for European teenagers

EurActiv.com: "The free-train-ticket antidote against the political malaise affecting Europeans is widely supported inside Parliament by MEPs from the main political groups – including the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), the Greens and the Liberals (ALDE).

“I am convinced that the 18th birthday InterRail pass for Europe could become a true lighthouse project for the development of a common European identity in diversity,” said EPP group leader Manfred Weber, who champions the initiative with other MEPs.

Weber, a German Conservative who became an enthusiastic backer of the scheme after he used it to travel around Europe with his cousin, flagged the idea during the State of the Union debate in September."

David Carr: Me and my bus pass - good, free public transport for all

CommonSpace: "With free travel, I can take part in Glasgow’s economic, social, cultural and political life. It connects me to the rest of the city. I can also travel to Edinburgh and use their buses. The municipally run Lothian Buses contrasts with First Bus's clapped out service.

If free public transport is good for me, why wouldn't it be for all? Many cities worldwide provide this service, including in Europe, Brazil, the United States, China and Israel. "

Do we really save money by forcing old people to drive?

Luxemburger Wort: "To mark World Older Persons Day, the OGBL demands that Senior travel cards be made free, suggesting that this will not only encourage more people to use public transport but could be beneficial to the environment."

Car culture forces people to drive. Let's break the hold of the car on society.

Plymouth Herald: ""I'll have to walk them to Bodriggy school, which isn't far, but Florence is not the fastest walker. It's going to take 35 minutes and I can't leave Michael at home on his own to catch the taxi as he's only nine years old, so the girls are going to be late every day.

"I am a single parent and I don't drive. I don't have anyone else to help but I am doing my best. I am learning to drive at the moment and once I can drive I am quite happy to take them to school myself.""

What would fare-free public transport do for your life?

Glasgow Live: "She explained: “We use public transport almost every day. The cost is really high and that’s a big ask for carers, who often face poverty and isolation.”"

“Car-free Sunday” a success, says Minister for Transport

The Brussels Times: "Thousands of individuals took advantage of cutting across the region’s 160 square kilometres on foot, by bike or using public transport, all without any major incidents, the police say.

The Royal Family also criss-crossed the streets of the capital by bike. Mr Smet commented, “Car-free Sunday” shows perfectly that a city with fewer cars is both a vibrant and pleasant city.”"

Free second ride for London bus passengers

BBC News: "Bus passengers in London will be able to make a second journey for free under a new system being launched by the capital's mayor.
Sadiq Khan said from 12 September a free second journey can be made within an hour of a fare being paid.
His office estimates 30 million bus journeys, currently costing £1.50 per passenger, will be made this way.
An Oyster or contactless payment card will need to be used to take advantage of the Hopper fare."

Central Madrid to be #carfree

Business Insider: "Madrid plans to ban cars from 500 acres of its city center by 2020, with urban planners redesigning 24 of the city's busiest streets for walking rather than driving. "

Ireland - Children using Leap Cards travel free for fortnight

Newstalk: "All child Leap Card holders, aged between four and 18, can travel free on any Leap Card service for the next fortnight."

Oslo Started Removing Parking Spaces For A Car-Free City

carscoops : "According to The Nordic Page, the Oslo Municipality will go on with its plan to make the country’s capital a car-free city before 2019 by removing parking spaces, thus discouraging car owners to venture in the city’s center. "

Kids In Dublin Are Getting Two Weeks Of FREE Public Transport This Month

Lovin Dublin: "Great news if you're planning a big family outing sometime soon: kids will soon be getting free public transport in Dublin and beyond."

Greece: fare dodging rise

ekathimerini.com: "Fewer and fewer Athens public transport passengers are paying for the service as ticket evasion in the Greek capital is taking on unprecedented proportions.

Transport companies are waiting for the installation of electronic ticketing machines, on which the Transport Ministry has placed all its hopes for a turnaround. But the e-ticket scanners are not expected before mid-2017."

This article takes and accountant's view of fare-dodging. If they took a larger economic view they would see that the fare-dodgers are actually helping the economy.

Luxemburger Wort - All students should have free transport

wort.lu: "(JB) A Luxembourg student association has called on the government to provide free public transport to all students in the country.

The call by the Association of Luxembourg Students (ACEL) came after it was announced that all secondary school pupils would be granted free access to all forms of public transport in the country, regardless of when they travel, from October 1, 2016."

Luxemburger Wort - School students to get free ticket to ride, anywhere in Luxembourg

wort.lu : "Secondary school students will have free access to all forms of public transport in Luxembourg, starting October 1, 2016.

According to the country's sustainable development and education ministries, the “MyCard élève” travel card will enable holders to travel free of charge not only their routes to and from school, which is currently the case, but they will be able to use it anywhere in the country."

The new mayor of Bucharest, on her plan for free public transit

business-review.eu : "Gabriela Firea, the newly elected mayor of Bucharest, said the public transit system in the city will become free for passangers only after some essential conditions are met.

She says that the free surface transit could convince more people to leave their cars at home and contribute to the reduction of traffic congestion.

“I want to underline the fact that I will apply these measures in a reasonable period of time,” said Firea.

The new mayor said that her plan includes the acquisition of 300 new buses and  the transformation of the state-owned transit company RATB into a commercial company. She also said that Bucharest will have special bus lanes."

New Bucharest mayor proposes free public transport

business-review : "The newly elected mayor of Bucharest, Gabriela Firea, says it makes economic sense to have all the surface public transit system free for passengers."

Could not be more simple, capitalism wants more people, cares nothing for biosphere

BBC News: "Having fewer children used to be seen as a sign of progress, but when the whole world is having fewer children it can have a severe impact on global economic growth."

Freiburg, Germany, give up your car, get #freetransit

The Guardian: "Freiburg in Germany has 500km of bike routes, tramways, and a cheap and efficient public transport system. One suburb, Vauban, forbids people to park near their homes and makes car-owners pay €18,000 for a space on the edge of town. In return for living without a car, people are offered cheaper housing, free public transport, and plentiful bicycle spaces."

Parking economics exposes conservative hypocrisy

Adam Smith Institute: "But, the evidence doesn’t stand up. What underpricing parking actually causes is excessive congestion as the scarcity of parking spaces encourages drivers to cruise around looking for an empty space. Prof. Shoup looked at sixteen different studies, which measured cruising behaviour in the central business districts of major cities. He found that they average time spent cruising for a parking space was around 8 minutes, and that at any one time 30% of cars in the traffic flow were cruising for a parking space."

"We don't need cars in Paris"

ibtimes : "In the first installment of the year of its monthly pedestrian and cycling days, the Champs Elysées in Paris went car-free Sunday, meeting with encouragement from tourists and locals alike. The famous French boulevard, which can hold up to 10 lanes of car traffic at its peak, was quiet of the sounds of honking and free of the smell of exhaust.

"All of Paris should be like this," one local Parisian told Agence-France Presse. "We have to stop poisoning people; we need to open up the city. There should be more public transport and more taxis, but we don't need cars in Paris.""

Global, local leaders vow hard work against temperature rise - HeraldCourier.com: News

HeraldCourier.com: News: "WASHINGTON (AP) — International leaders and local officials on Thursday pledged to work hard to stem the rise of global temperatures by investing in public transportation and electric cars, planting trees and switching to solar energy."

Really?

Suffolk Car Free Friday: Cycle Ipswich challenging people to ditch the car one day a week during June

Ipswich Star: "“This could be in the form of car sharing, it could in the form of walking, using public transport, or it would be great if people were inspired to get on their bicycles.”

Mrs Matthew said the main benefits of the initiative would be: people living a healthier lifestyle, a reduction of traffic on the roads, participants forming a better connection with their neighbours, and less pollution in the environment.

The idea was first raised at a Cycle Ipswich meeting at the beginning of this year as members felt they needed to do something to empower people to make a change in the way they travelled."

Car pollution kills 10,000 a year in London

Greenpeace UK: "We all saw the research last year from King’s College London – commissioned by the GLA and TfL - that nearly 10,000 premature deaths are caused in London every year by exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulates PM2.5s. This was double the previous estimate, and very worrying. 
"

Traffic congestion biggest problem in Bristol. Politicians can't think of a solution.

Bristol Post: "We asked you to tell us what should be the most important priority for Bristol's next mayor.

And you told us that traffic and congestion should be top of the list for the candidate that wins the job at the election on May 5.

We have now asked the candidates for their views on this issue and here are the responses we received from nine out of 13 of them."

Dublin planning for large #carfree area

Independent.ie: "If approved, the measures would remove all east-west traffic from College Green, improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists and the flow of public transport.
This would also allow for the creation of a civic plaza in College Green, from Church Lane to Lower Grafton Street, which it is hoped would become a major tourism attraction.
Green Party councillor Ciaran Cuffe, who chairs the council's Strategic Policy Committee on transport, welcomed the plans for the city centre.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reclaim a civic space in the heart of Dublin city," he said.
"I think it is visionary, necessary and achievable."

Alastair Dalton: Free bus travel for over-60s is vital

The Scotsman: "FREE bus travel for over-60s is a life-changer worth keeping, writes Alastair Dalton

Providing free bus travel for the over-60s and disabled will cost Scottish taxpayers over £200 million this year, nearly one third more than when the scheme was launched a decade ago."

The author says there should be more study about the benefits of bus travel. He can look here: http://fptlib.blogspot.com 

Scottish Socialist Party - Free Public Transport

Bicycle highways promote growth, extend life of #autosprawl

DW.COM: "Total cost for the 101 kilometers is estimated at around 184 million euros - that's about 1.8 million euros per kilometer.
Almost three-quarters of this (126.5 million euros) will be used to actually build the roads to the required standards. The rest will be distributed among taxes, planning costs, land purchase and illumination infrastructure."

Bike highways get bikes out of the way of cars  to allow more and faster auto traffic. They cost a lot of money and do nothing to reduce sprawl or growth. They actually make autosprawl worse.

Cardiff to set 20mph limits across the city - 20's Plenty for Us

20's Plenty: "20mph limits are being embraced by other large and capital cities in the UK and abroad.  The majority of the largest 40 UK authorities have a 20mph policy including other capitals – City of London and 80% of inner London boroughs, Edinburgh and the centre of Belfast. Paris, Milan and Grenoble are examples of European places announcing 30kph (18mph) limits too."

Take a look at hospital parking to see how the auto system is really unworkable

3,000 want Walsall Manor Hospital staff to park for free « Express & Star: "More than 3,000 people have signed an online petition calling for parking charges for clinical staff working at Walsall Manor Hospital to be scrapped."

Turku bus card offer converts thousands of motorists to public transport

yle.fi : "UUTISET
NEWS
News 4.3.2016 10:12
Turku bus card offer converts thousands of motorists to public transport
It can be tricky to get drivers to give up their cars and hop onto a bus, but an innovative scheme in Turku has helped more than 5,000 motorists swap their car keys for a bus card—free of charge. The special promotion runs to the end of March and is open to anyone who holds a driving license and doesn’t already have a bus card.



Turku has added thousands of new bus users in the last month. Image: Henrietta Lehtinen / Yle
Motorists in the Turku region are able to get a taste of bus travel this spring at no cost. The offer is open to anyone with a driving license who has not previously registered a bus card. If they sign up with Föli, the region’s transport authority, their first card will be loaded with 20 euros worth of travel.

The campaign has been extraordinarily successful since it started at the beginning of February, with some 5,000 motorists signing up to see what it’s like to travel by bus."

The car century was a mistake. It’s time to move on by @carfreecities

The Washington Post: "Transport, however, is not the only important use of streets. Streets are also our most important public social spaces. Most cities in Europe now acknowledge the terrible damage cars have done to this use, which is why cities all across Europe are discouraging automobile use in favor of walking, cycling and public transport. This is most clearly illustrated in Oslo, the first European capital to announce that its downtown core will soon be made car-free in order to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality, as well as to improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists."

Controversial link road now costs £100 million more than original estimates

theargus : "Green party activist Andrew Durling said the scheme was calculated by the Department for Transport in 2011 as the worst "value for money" road scheme as well as the worst for CO2 emissions.

Mr Durling, who said local taxpayers would have to foot £68.3 million of costs with the rest coming from central government, added: “East Sussex County Council has squandered, and continues to squander, huge sums of council taxpayers money on just three miles of new road at a time when it is making nearly £40 million of cuts to adult social care services."

Governments say they want to cut carbon emissions, but when it gets down to it, they keep building roads.

Plans to widen the A34 in both directions through Oxfordshire in £800m scheme are still on table (From Oxford Mail): "PLANS to widen the A34 in both directions through Oxfordshire could be presented to the government by the end of the year.

Despite an apparent lack of activity, Highways England bosses have confirmed the £800m scheme is still on the table and research is being carried out."

To reduce carbon emissions, make urban buses fare-free

This is such an obvious step to take. Making urban buses and trams fare-free would reduce car-driving and lower carbon emissions. Why are we not hearing this idea in the major conferences like #COP21?

The answer is simple. Free public transport is a threat to capitalist profits. People will buy fewer cars, and will not be a likely to live in sprawl where they need even more consumer products.

When a politician will not support fare-free buses, you will know right away he is pro-growth and that puts him directly opposed to protection of the biosphere.

Buses are what moves people

CityMetric: "Rising bus fares and the loss of bus routes have not attracted an equivalent level of scrutiny, despite the heroic efforts of organisations like the Campaign for Better Transport and the Campaign to Protect Rural England. Bus services are not, generally, regarded as newsworthy outside of the regional or local press. They rarely occupy the national headlines. They are often passionately supported by campaigners and the passengers who rely on them. But they do not receive the political attention that is proportionate to the number of people who use them."

The "freedom" of the private auto vs the slavery of #publictransit

Daily Mail Online: "He said: 'There is a bit of a drinking culture among BA staff and on the flight back he indulges in the free alcohol.

'Normally when he gets back to Heathrow he uses public transport to get back to South Wales, it is cheaper and it means he can sleep.

'He doesn't know for whatever reason he decided to drive.'

He said Ford became a 'functioning alcoholic' following the shock death of his father in 2008 and added: 'The shock hit him quite hard. That was the start of his clinical depression and alcoholism.'"

How many people are depressed and self-medicating while driving? The auto system does not work.

Belgium - 1% of GDP goes to traffic congestion

Inverse: "And the problem is only getting worse. Brussels boasts a metropolitan population of 1.8 million, which has grown by 1.5 percent each year since 2000. “Traffic congestion in Belgium already costs 1 percent of the GDP annually for the nation,” says Keseru. “If the current situation continues, the city would come to a gridlock with serious economic, environmental, and social consequences. Accessibility of public institutions and workplaces would suffer and economic competitiveness would be impaired.” Couple worsening traffic with environmental degradation, and he fears companies and residents will flee the city."

UK "free market" buses a disaster

The Guardian: "Travel outside London, however, and Britain’s deregulated bus system reveals itself as the source of widespread, justified disgruntlement – an overpriced, inefficient, poor-quality mess. According to a report to be published this week, since deregulation in 1986 – unleashed with the promise that “more people would travel” – bus trips in big cities outside London have collapsed from 2bn to 1bn a year. In London, on the other hand, where everything from how much we pay to which routes exist is decided by the mayor and Transport for London, bus use since the 1980s has gone in the opposite direction: from around 1bn to more than 2bn trips a year. Britain’s bus privatisation disaster is a story of profit before need, and a discomfiting tale for those who believe the private sector automatically trumps the public realm."

Kostenfreies Schülerticket für ganz Hessen

Online Petition: "Die Unterzeichnerinnen und Unterzeichner ersuchen den Hessischen Landtag, den §161 Hessisches Schulgesetz zu streichen.

Er soll ersetzt werden durch folgenden Absatz:
"Die Schülerbeförderung in Hessen ist bis Ende der Sekundarstufe II kostenfrei.
Die Schülerinnen und Schüler in Hessen erhalten ein Schülerticket."

Chancengleichheit statt Benachteiligung auf dem Schulweg!
Der Landeselternbeirat Hessen und die Bildungsgewerkschaft GEW (als Erstunterstützerin dieser Petition) wollen Chancengleichheit für alle Schülerinnen und Schüler. Dazu gehört auch, dass der Besuch einer Schule nicht am Geldbeutel der Eltern scheitern darf, nur weil die Fahrkarte zu teuer ist. Das kostenfreie Schülerticket ist ein Baustein für Chancengleichheit."

Portugal's new government starts undoing privatizations, starting with public transport

Winnipeg Free Press: "LISBON, Portugal - Portugal's new Socialist government is making good on its promise to roll back the previous government's privatizations, with public transport companies first in line."

Paris to close Champs Elysees to cars one Sunday a month

Reuters: "Paris' Champs Elysees avenue will be closed to cars one Sunday a month to let pedestrians reign supreme, the mayor of the French capital announced on Wednesday."

Romania’s Timisoara will provide free public transport by boat on the canal crossing the city

insider : "Romania’s Timisoara will have a new means of public transportation starting this spring: boats on the Bega canal. The boat rides will be free."