Papa, E.

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WestminsterResearch

06/03/2020 Would you ditch your car if public transport was free? Here's what researchers have foundhttps://theconversation.com/would-you-ditch-your-car-if-public-transport-was-free-heres-what-researchers-have-found-133001 1/5AuthorEnrica PapaSenior Lecturer in Transport Planning,University of WestminsterAcademic rigour, journalistic ﬂairLuxembourg recently became the first country in the world to make all publictransport free. As of March 1 2020, all buses, trains and trams throughout thecountry can be boarded without paying a fare – the largest area to institute freepublic transport for both residents and tourists so far.Free public transport, however, isn’t a new idea. Cities and towns have beenexperimenting with it since 1960 – Luxembourg merely clinches the title of the firstcountry to roll it out nationwide. Today, at least 98 cities and towns around the world have some form of free public transport. In some areas, only residents canuse it, or certain groups, such as senior citizens.It’s often introduced to encourage people to use their cars less – reducing congestion in cities andlowering air pollution and carbon emissions.But does it work?Bus travel is now free for all passengers throughout Luxembourg. EPA-EFE/JULIEN WARNANDWould you ditch your car if public transport was free? Here’swhat researchers have foundMarch 5, 2020 2.21pm GMT06/03/2020 Would you ditch your car if public transport was free? Here's what researchers have foundhttps://theconversation.com/would-you-ditch-your-car-if-public-transport-was-free-heres-what-researchers-have-found-133001 2/5No ticket to rideEconomists tend to argue that free public transport is irrational and uneconomical because itgenerates “useless mobility”. This means that people will choose to move more simply because it’sfree, increasing the costs of transport operators and subsidies for local authorities, while ultimatelyincreasing emissions from public transport.Perhaps it’s no surprise that introducing free public transport increases the number of people using it.Strong passenger growth has been reported everywhere free public transport has been introduced,and the effects are more evident after several years.Research has also found that when fares are removed, only a small number of people who previouslytravelled by car make the switch. New passengers attracted by it tend to be pedestrians and cyclistsrather than car drivers. The picture from most cities where free public transport has been introducedis that the increased passenger numbers overwhelmingly come from people who might have walked,cycled or not travelled otherwise.Three years after fares were abolished in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, the number of bus passengers increased from 55% to 63%, while car journeys decreased only slightly (from 31% to 28%), togetherwith walking (from 12% to 7%). Cycling (1%) and others (1%) remained the same.Luxembourg is the ﬁrst country in the world to abolish public transport fares nationwide. EPA-EFE/JULIEN WARNAND06/03/2020 Would you ditch your car if public transport was free? Here's what researchers have foundhttps://theconversation.com/would-you-ditch-your-car-if-public-transport-was-free-heres-what-researchers-have-found-133001 3/5Experts from the Cosmopolis Centre in Brussels agree that the effects of free public transport on car traffic levels are marginal, arguing that by itself free public transport cannot significantly reduce caruse and traffic, or improve air quality.So what can? Well, the researchers found that the behaviour of motorists and the transport mode theychoose depends very little on public transport fares. Rather than relying on free public transport toengineer the shift, a more effective way to reduce the number of people choosing to drive could beregulating car use.Read more: Free public transport is great news for the environment but it's no silver bulletIncreasing the cost of parking, congestion charging, or increasing fuel taxes could all be combinedwith free fares to lower car demand.How successful fare abolition is at tempting people to use buses and trams depends on the quality ofthe service. Cleaner and more reliable public transport must be a prerequisite for these schemes ifbuses and trams are to compete with the car, and making it part of a wider investment plan couldhave a big impact on the sustainability of transport.Fare abolition can help to make public transport visible as a valid alternative to the car in cities wheremany residents might have forgotten about it over time, due to chronic underinvestment.Reducing congestion and air pollution requires fewer cars. Kichigin/Shutterstock06/03/2020 Would you ditch your car if public transport was free? Here's what researchers have foundhttps://theconversation.com/would-you-ditch-your-car-if-public-transport-was-free-heres-what-researchers-have-found-133001 4/5Electric vehicles Cars Urban life Public transport Transport emissions BusesFree public transport may not be effective for making transport sustainable on its own, but it can haveplenty of other benefits that make it worthwhile. It can be a progressive social policy, guaranteeingand improving access to public transport for diverse groups that might otherwise struggle to getaround.Click here to subscribe to our climate action newsletter. Climate change is inevitable. Our response to it isn’t.Do you think more people should hear what the experts are saying?The Conversation serves society by making knowledge accessible to everyone,not just a select few. Our only agenda is a better informed public. If you careabout what we do please make a donation now and help secure our future.The Conversation UKYou might also likeDonate NowLuxembourg’s free public transport sounds great, but it won’t help people get from Ato BFree public transport doesn’t add up – unless you get rid of the driversFree public transport is great news for the environment but it’s no silver bullet06/03/2020 Would you ditch your car if public transport was free? Here's what researchers have foundhttps://theconversation.com/would-you-ditch-your-car-if-public-transport-was-free-heres-what-researchers-have-found-133001 5/5Toxic emissions down, but people still dying from air pollution – it’s time forsomething radical

Would you ditch your car if public transport was free? Here’s what researchers have found

https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/download/f68674bb20eaca59c9ba7d0d8bf9bdabbea17f4ea8527c8d44d4fdd8825b93fa/1552630/Would%20you%20ditch%20your%20car%20if%20public%20transport%20was%20free_%20Here%27s%20what%20researchers%20have%20found.pdf

Would you ditch your car if public transport was free? Here’s what researchers have found

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