European cities consider making public transport free to tackle air pollution

telegraph : "European cities are increasingly looking toward free transport in a bid to combat air pollution. "

Interview with leader of international #freepublictransport campaign

Railway Technology : "Paris, Warsaw and Brussels all had similar schemes, and in March this year, the German Government announced its intention to introduce FFPT in its most polluted cities  to cut emissions and help Germany meet its EU air quality targets.

Asked whether he believes this model would be realistic from a financial point of view – not only in Germany but everywhere else – Berthelsen is adamant: “Of course this would be realistic, it’s only a question of political will. Do we want a system where a millionaire and an unemployed person pays the same amount to use the public transport, or do we want people to pay for it in a more just way through some kind of taxation?"

"Who is going to pay the bill?"

Paris to examine making public transport free for everyone - The Local: ""Who is going to pay the bill?" said Alexandre Vesperini, from the pro Macron PPCI group on the city council."

Public transit advocates need to be ready with a list of the cost benefits. Cars are heavily subsidized.



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Paris mayor wants free public transport for all to reduce pollution

wcjb.com : "“The question of free transport is one of the keys to urban mobility in which the place of pollution-causing cars is no longer central,” she asserted. “Many cities are looking into it.”"

Jūrmala, Latvia, mulls free public transportation for locals

LSM.LV : "Locals would have to acquire a resident's card, similar to those already available in Rīga, to enjoy free rides. The scheme, which would cost Jūrmala around €600,000 a year, would make Jūrmala the second municipality to make public transportation free for its residents, after Rēzekne in Latvia's east.

The scheme operational in Rēzekne, however, provides free rides for people who earn less than 90% of the average national monthly wage. 

"The number of passengers has increased 40 to 50%.. Pupils and students have started to use this opportunity quite actively," says Rēzekne mayor Andrejs Rešetņikovs (Harmony). The scheme costs €320,000 to €340,000 for the city. "

German Cities To Trial Ambitious Free Public Transport Plans

HuffPost : "The university city of Tübingen, in southwest Germany, is testing free public transportation for all residents. Two weeks ago, the city began a two-year pilot project using its own funds to provide free rides on Saturdays.

For seven years, local authorities have been trying to provide unlimited public transport, free at the point of access, for a flat 15-euro monthly tax for all residents, Mayor Boris Palmer explained. To do so would require a change in law."

The Case for Free Public Transport

Global Research : "Nine Points Arguing the Case for Free Public Transport

• Free fares would be the biggest single pro-environment policy enacted by any national government anywhere on the planet, dramatically slashing car use and CO2 emissions.
• Free fares would be the biggest anti-poverty, pro-social inclusion policy enacted in Scotland, or anywhere else in the UK. It is mainly people on low incomes who rely on public transport
• Free fares would cut the number of road accidents, reducing human suffering and relieving pressure on the NHS and the emergency services. The Scottish Executive estimates that road accidents cost £1.4-billion a year to the Scottish economy. (On an average day in Scotland there is one fatal road accident; another 8-10 involving serious injury; and 250-300 minor accidents. The vast majority involve cars.)
• Free fares would be help to reduce the levels of asthma and other respiratory illnesses, which have risen steeply in line with the expansion of road traffic
• Free fares would potentially increase the spending power of over a million workers by between £40 and £100 a month, boosting the overall economy.
• Free fares would increase business efficiency and productivity: the CBI estimates that traffic congestion costs business across Britain between £15 and £20-billion a year.
• Free fares would be a major tourist attraction, bringing hundreds of millions of pounds into the Scottish economy every year from increased visitor numbers. An increase in tourism of just 20 per cent would bring an extra £1-billion into the Scottish economy.
• Free fares would attract worldwide support, especially from the global environmental movement, and would bring pressure to bear on governments throughout Europe and the wider world to adopt a similar policy.
• Free fares would reduce Scotland’s reliance on depleting oil reserves; 67 per cent of all oil produced globally is used for transport."