It has to be one of the hardest jobs in the world... coming up with arguments against fare-free public transportation. They can't say there is no money anymore, because it is becoming widely known that fossil-fuels are being subsidized at USD 10M per minute.
Frédéric Héran, a transport economist says:The experience in Dunkirk shows this to be false.
When mayor Anne Hidalgo suggested she would look at scrapping fares, Frédéric Héran, a transport economist, said the measure “made no sense”.
“Who will the new public transport users be?” he asked. “All studies have shown they will be cyclists, then pedestrians and very few motorists. This clearly shows it’s an anti-cycling, anti-pedestrian measure and not very discouraging to cars.”
An academic study on the experience shows that bus use has skyrocketed more than 60% on weekdays and more than doubled on weekends, with 48% of users saying they now leave their cars at home. Furthermore, 5% of those surveyed said they have sold their car or decided not to purchase a second vehicle.https://www.forbes.com/sites/enriquedans/2019/09/15/is-free-public-transport-in-cities-the-wayforward/#5510baba00ee
