free public transport
{{Short description|Public transport not funded by fares from passengers}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2018}}
File:Luxembourg, tram 2018-07 allée Scheffer.jpg became the first country to provide free public transport across its entire territory.{{cite news |date= 29 February 2020 |title= Luxembourg becomes first country with free public transport |url= https://www.france24.com/en/20200229-luxembourg-becomes-first-country-with-free-public-transport |work= France 24 |location= Luxembourg |access-date= 10 April 2020}}]]
Free public transport, often called fare-free public transit or zero-fare public transport, is public transport which is fully funded by means other than collecting fares from passengers. It may be funded by national, regional or local government through taxation, and/or by commercial sponsorship by businesses. Alternatively, the concept of "free-ness" may take other forms, such as no-fare access via a card which may or may not be paid for in its entirety by the user.
On 29 February 2020, Luxembourg became the first country in the world to make all public transport in the country (buses, trams, and trains) free to use.{{cite news |date= 29 February 2020 |title= Luxembourg makes public transport free |url= https://www.dw.com/en/luxembourg-makes-public-transport-free/a-52582998 |work= Deutsche Welle (DW) |access-date= 10 April 2020}}{{cite news |last= Kirby |first= Paul |date= 29 February 2020 |title= Free transport in Luxembourg, but what's the cost? |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51657085 |work= BBC News |access-date= 10 April 2020}}{{cite news |last= Abnett |first= Kate |date= 29 February 2020 |title= Luxembourg becomes first country to make public transport free |url= https://www.reuters.com/article/us-luxembourg-politics-transportation-idUSKBN20N0RX |work= Reuters |location= Luxembourg |access-date= 10 April 2020}}{{cite news |last= Calder |first= Simon |date= 29 February 2020 |title= 'Like the first step on the moon': Luxembourg makes history as first country with free public transport |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/luxembourg-free-travel-train-bus-tram-public-transport-rail-fares-ticket-a9366226.html |work= The Independent |access-date= 10 April 2020}} On 1 October 2022, Malta made its public transport free on most routes, though unlike in Luxembourg, this applies only to residents.{{Cite web |url=https://cities-today.com/malta-makes-most-public-transport-free/ |title=Malta makes most public transport free |date=2022-10-06 |website=cities-today.com}}
As some transit lines intended to operate with fares initially start service, the organisation may elect not to collect fares for an introductory period to create interest or to test operations.
Types
=City-wide systems=
File:Tallinna Tramm - Wahllokal.JPG
Several mid-size European cities and many smaller towns around the world have converted their public transportation networks to zero-fare. The city of Hasselt in Belgium is a notable example: fares were abolished in 1997 and ridership was as much as "13 times higher" by 2006.[http://www.hasselt.be/content/content/record.php?ID=4418 '10 jaar gratis openbaar vervoer'] (tr. 10 years of free public transport) {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020214003/http://www.hasselt.be/content/content/record.php?ID=4418 |date=2008-10-20 }} (in Dutch) on the city's official website Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia with more than 420,000 inhabitants, switched to free public transport in 2013 after a public vote.{{cite news |last1=Shearlaw |first1=Maeve |title=The Tallinn experiment: what happens when a city makes public transport free? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/oct/11/tallinn-experiment-estonia-public-transport-free-cities |access-date=15 March 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=11 October 2016}}
In the U.S. state of Washington, 14 rural transit systems have adopted zero-fare policies, either permanently or through pilots in the 2020s. Fares for passengers aged 18 and younger have been free on most local and inter-city transit systems in the state since September 2022. The program was part of a larger statewide transportation package and also includes inter-city Amtrak trains operated by the state, as well as the Washington State Ferries system.{{cite news |last=Kroman |first=David |date=September 1, 2022 |title=Free transit starts today for most youths across WA |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/free-transit-starts-today-for-most-youths-across-wa/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=November 17, 2023}}
Kharkiv in Ukraine is the largest city in the world with free public transport with a population of 1,420,000 residents, where free public transport for everyone has been introduced in 2022.
Since 2025, local transport in Belgrade, a city with 1,380,000 inhabitants, has been free.{{cite web | url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20241218-serbia-s-capital-belgrade-to-make-public-transport-free | title=Serbia's capital Belgrade to make public transport free | date=18 December 2024 }}
=Local services=
{{unreferenced section|date= March 2016}}
{{see also|List of free public transport routes}}
Local zero-fare shuttles or inner-city loops are far more common than citywide systems. They often use buses or trams. These may be set up by a city government to ease bottlenecks or fill short gaps in the transport network.
Zero-fare transport is often operated as part of the services offered within a public facility, such as a hospital or university campus shuttle or an airport inter-terminal shuttle.
Some zero-fare services may be built to avoid the need for large transport construction. Port cities where shipping would require very high bridges might provide zero-fare ferries instead. These are free at the point of use, just as the use of a bridge might have been.
Machinery installed within a building or shopping centre can be seen as 'zero-fare transport': elevators, escalators and moving sidewalks are often provided by property owners and funded through the sales of goods and services. Community bicycle programs, providing free bicycles for short-term public use could be thought of as zero-fare transport. In Australia, Melbourne and Adelaide have a free tram zone in their CBDs to encourage car commuters to keep the cars outside of the nucleus of the city.
A common example of zero-fare transport is student transport, where students travelling to or from school do not need to pay. The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point partly funds the Stevens Point Transit system. All students at the university can use any of the four citywide campus routes and the other four bus routes throughout the city free of charge. The university also funds two late night bus routes to serve the downtown free of charge with a goal of cutting down drunk driving. The University of Nottingham offers free Hopper Bus between its University Park and Jubilee, Sutton Bonington and Royal Derby Hospital campuses, where no other bus companies operate direct routes between. However, this service requires passengers to tap their university ID to board, meaning that members of the public cannot ride on these buses.
In some regions transport is free because the revenues are lower than expenses as fare collection is already partially paid by government or company or service (for example BMO railway road in Moscow, most part of is used to as service transport and officially pick up passengers).{{clarify|reason=this sentence is very confusing |date=May 2018}}
Many large amusement parks have trams servicing large parking lots or distant areas. Disneyland in Anaheim, California, runs a tram from its entrance, across the parking lot, and across the street to its hotel as well as the bus stop for Orange County and Los Angeles local transit buses. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, provides tram service throughout its parking lot.
In July 2017, Dubai announced it would offer free bus services for a short period of time on selected days.{{cite web|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/transport/dubai-rta-launches-free-bus-service-to-cover-partial-metro-closure|title=Dubai RTA launches free bus service to cover partial metro closure|author=Staff Report}}
In the northwestern United States, some tribal governments offer free bus service on their respective reservations, including on the Muckleshoot,{{cite web | url=https://tribaltransit.com/about/ | title=About }} Spokane,{{cite web | url=https://www.spokanetribe.com/resources/dnr/transit-services/ | title=TRANSIT SERVICES – Spokane Tribe of Indians }} Umatilla{{cite web | url=https://indigenousgov.hks.harvard.edu/publications/ctuir-public-transit-confederated-tribes-umatilla-indian-reservation | title=CTUIR Public Transit | Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation | date=2010 }} and Yakama Indian Reservations.{{cite web | url=https://www.npaihb.org/member-tribes/yakama-indian-nation/ | title=Yakama Indian Nation | NPAIHB | date=9 February 2016 }}
=Emergency relief=
During natural disasters, pandemics, and other area-wide emergencies, some transit agencies offer zero-fare transport.
==United States==
Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit commuter rail temporarily offered free service for those needing transportation alternatives during the 2017 Tubbs Fire and 2019 Kincade Fire.{{cite news |last1=Houston |first1=Will |title=SMART offers free rides as full service returns |url=https://www.marinij.com/2019/10/30/smart-offers-free-rides-as-full-service-returns/ |access-date=31 October 2019 |agency=Marin Independent Journal |date=30 October 2019}}{{cite news |title=Smart Train Service Running On Limited Schedule Wednesday Through Nov. 6. |agency=Bay City News Service |website=SFGate |date=29 October 2019 |url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/Smart-Train-Service-Running-On-Limited-Schedule-14572872.php |access-date=30 October 2019}}
Some agencies, including the Central Ohio Transit Authority and King County Metro, offer free public transport during snow emergencies to reduce the number of vehicles on the street.{{Cite web |title=COTA suspends fares amid Level 2 Snow Emergency in Franklin County|url=https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/cota-suspends-bus-fare-snow-emergency-franklin-county/530-4327a5df-4b12-4354-a0a9-1a17db97305b|access-date=2021-04-14|website=10tv.com|date=16 February 2021|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Gutman|first=David|date=2019-04-28|title=You can ride King County Metro buses for free during the next snow emergency|website=The Seattle Times |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/you-can-ride-king-county-metro-buses-for-free-during-the-next-snow-emergency/|access-date=2021-04-13}}
== COVID-19 pandemic ==
{{See also|Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transport}}
During the COVID-19 pandemic, several agencies paused the collection of fares to alleviate concerns that the virus could be transmitted on surfaces, to keep travelers from coming into close contact with employees, or to allow rear door boarding on their vehicles. These agencies are mostly located in smaller cities where the farebox recovery ratio is low as they could afford to implement this policy without a major hit to revenue.{{Cite news|date=2020-03-19|title=Is Free Transit Safer? As Ridership Drops, Some Agencies Cut Fares.|language=en|work=Bloomberg.com|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-19/some-transit-agencies-cut-fares-as-ridership-drops|access-date=2021-04-14}} A study was conducted to detail the ways that fare collection during the pandemic varied geographically and demographically. During this time, 63.5% of the 263 public transit agencies studied had suspended fare collection. Geographically, the alleviation of fares was common around urban centers like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York City, etc and less obvious in northwestern states.Goldberg, Dori. "The New Geography of Fare-Free Public Transport: Examining the Suspension of Fares in the United States During COVID-19." Brussels: Master in Urban Studies (ULB/VUB) (2021).
Benefits
=Operational benefits=
Transport operators can benefit from faster boarding and shorter dwell times, allowing faster timetabling of services. Although some of these benefits can be achieved in other ways, such as off-vehicle ticket sales and modern types of electronic fare collection, zero-fare transport avoids equipment and personnel costs.
Passenger aggression may be reduced. In 2008 bus drivers of Société des Transports Automobiles (STA) in Essonne held strikes demanding zero-fare transport for this reason. They claim that 90% of the aggression is related to refusal to pay the fare.[http://www.volkskrant.nl/economie/article546941.ece/Franse_chauffeurs_voor_gratis_buskaartje Volkskrant.nl – Franse chauffeurs voor gratis buskaartje] (in Dutch) (tr. French drivers for free bus ticket)
A randomized controlled trial conducted in Santiago, Chile, found that access to fare-free public transport increased overall travel by 12%, particularly boosting off-peak travel by 23% due to a rise in both public transport and non-motorized trips.{{cite journal |last1=Bull |first1=Owen |last2=Muñoz |first2=Juan Carlos |last3=Silva |first3=Hugo E. |title=The impact of fare-free public transport on travel behavior: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial |journal=Regional Science and Urban Economics |date=January 2021 |volume=86 |pages=103616 |doi=10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2020.103616 |bibcode=2021RSUE...86j3616B }}
=Commercial benefits=
Some zero-fare transport services are funded by private businesses, such as the merchants in a shopping mall, in the hope that doing so will increase sales or other revenue from increased foot traffic or ease of travel. Employers often operate free shuttles as a benefit to their employees, or as part of a congestion mitigation agreement with a local government.{{fact|date=May 2025}}
=Community benefits=
Zero-fare transport can make the system more accessible and fair for low-income residents. Other benefits are the same as those attributed to public transport generally:
- Road traffic can benefit from decreased congestion and faster average road speeds, fewer traffic accidents, easier parking, savings from reduced wear and tear on roads
- Increased public access, especially for the poor and low waged, which can in turn benefit social integration, businesses and those looking for work
- Environmental and public health benefits including decreased air pollution and noise pollution from road traffic
Research findings from Stroud & Bekhit (2023) about inclusivity gaps in FFPT research studies
Research of fare-free public transport (FFTP) studies by Stroud and Bekhit (2025) reveals that only 25% of the studies significantly consider non-dominant groups of the population in their research, with extensive knowledge gaps about FFPT impacts on marginalized communities.{{cite journal |last1=Štraub |first1=Daniel |last2=Hess |first2=Daniel Baldwin |title=Re-examining fare-free public transport for greater inclusivity |journal=Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives |date=May 2025 |volume=31 |pages=101454 |doi=10.1016/j.trip.2025.101454 |doi-access=free }}
=Global benefits=
Global benefits of zero-fare transport are also the same as those attributed to public transport generally. If use of personal cars is discouraged, zero-fare public transport could mitigate the problems of global warming and oil depletion. On average, cars emit one pound of CO2 per mile driven.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-07 |title=5 Environmental Benefits of Sustainable Transportation |url=https://transportation.ucla.edu/blog/5-environmental-benefits-sustainable-transportation |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Transportation |language=en}} Public transport helps to reduce the number of vehicles being driven which results in decreasing carbon emissions. Cars are also responsible for emitting other pollutants such as antifreeze.
Drawbacks
{{Globalize|date=February 2022}}
Several large U.S. municipalities have attempted zero-fare systems, but many of these implementations have been judged unsuccessful by policy makers. A 2002 National Center for Transportation Research report suggests that, while transit ridership does tend to increase, there are also some disadvantages:
- An increase in vandalism, resulting in increased costs for security and vehicle maintenance
- In large transit systems, significant revenue shortfalls unless additional funding was provided
- An increase in driver complaints and staff turnover, although farebox-related arguments were eliminated
- Slower service overall (not collecting fares has the effect of speeding boarding, but increased crowding tends to swamp out this effect unless additional vehicles are added)
- Declines in schedule adherence
This U.S. report suggests that, while ridership does increase overall, the goal of enticing drivers to take transit instead of driving is not necessarily met: because fare-free systems tend to attract a certain number of "problem riders", zero-fare systems may have the unintended effect of convincing some 'premium' riders to go back to driving their cars. It should be kept in mind that this was a study that only looked at U.S. cities, and the author's conclusions may be less applicable in other countries that have better social safety nets and less crime than the large U.S. cities studied.{{cite journal | last = Perone | first = Jennifer S. | title = Advantages and Disadvantages of Fare-Free Transit Policy | journal = NCTR Report Number: NCTR-473-133, BC137-38 | date = October 2002 | citeseerx = 10.1.1.504.198 }}
Countries with countrywide zero-fare transport
- Luxembourg was the first country to offer free public transport (trams, trains, and buses) for everyone across the entire country. Since 29 February 2020, all public transport has been free in the country, with the exception of the first class on trains.{{Cite web |title=Getting Around in Luxembourg City |url=https://www.luxembourg-city.com/en/plan-your-stay/traveller-information/getting-around |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=www.luxembourg-city.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2018-12-05 |title=Luxembourg to become first country in world to make public transport free |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/luxembourg-free-trains-public-transport-trams-buses-when-a8668496.html |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=The Independent |language=en}}
- Estonia wants to become entirely zero-fare. Counties in Estonia are allowed to make public transport free. Between 2018 and 2024, buses were free of charge in 11 of Estonia's 15 counties. Public transport in Estonia's capital, Tallinn, has been free to local residents since 2013.{{Cite news |title=Free public transport in Estonia |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/05/09/free-public-transport-in-estonia |access-date=2022-06-01 }}{{Cite web |title=Estonia to Become the World's First Free Public Transport Nation |url=https://popupcity.net/observations/estonia-to-become-the-worlds-first-free-public-transport-nation/ |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=Pop-Up City |date=16 May 2018 |language=en}} As of January 2024, free local transport in the counties was largely abolished, but remains available for people up to 19 years of age and those aged 63 and over.{{cite web|access-date=2023-09-26|author=Karin Koppel|date=2023-09-26|language=en|publisher=ERR|title=Ratas: Abolishing free public transport a huge mistake|url=https://news.err.ee/1609112600/ratas-abolishing-free-public-transport-a-huge-mistake}}
- Malta became fare free for all residents on 1 October 2022.{{cite news|date = 11 October 2020 |title=Live blog: Budget 2022 as it happens |url= https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/live-blog-budget-2022-as-it-happens.907150 |work= Times of Malta |access-date= 11 October 2020}}
- There are UK-wide provisions for free bus travel for senior citizens (60-years-old and over in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Greater London, state pension age for England).{{cite web |url= https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/over-60s-to-keep-free-bus-pass-privileges-in-scotland-269518 |title= Over-60s to keep free bus pass privileges in Scotland |date= 2 August 2018 |website= The Scotsman |access-date= 16 July 2023}}{{Cite web |title=Apply for an older person's bus pass |url=https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-elderly-person-bus-pass |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2015-10-30 |title=Free and concessionary bus and rail travel {{!}} nidirect |url=https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/free-and-concessionary-bus-and-rail-travel |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=www.nidirect.gov.uk |language=en}} The Scottish government has also implemented free bus travel across the country for people under 22-years-old since 31 January 2022, while the Scottish National Blind Person Scheme allows free rail and ferry travel for blind persons.{{cite news |last= Diamond |first= Claire |date= 31 January 2022 |title= Free bus travel for under-22s in Scotland begins |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-60087004 |work= BBC News |access-date= 29 September 2022}}{{Cite web |title=Information on other concessionary travel and discounted schemes. |url=https://www.transport.gov.scot/concessionary-travel/information-on-other-concepeoplessionary-travel-and-discounted-schemes/}} The senior citizens bus pass also apply to rail and rapid transit (the Tube) in Greater London, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
- Romania has made public transportation including buses, subways and inter-country trains free for all pre-university students. However university students only have the option for a 50% discount on individual inter-country train tickets or inter-city subscriptions.{{cite web |title=Elevii din România vor avea transport gratuit|trans-title=Students from Romania will have free transport|url=https://www.edu.ro/elevii-din-rom%C3%A2nia-vor-avea-transport-gratuit |website=www.edu.ro |publisher=Ministerul Educației Naționale |access-date=22 December 2022 |location=Romania |language=ro |date=2020-05-29 }}
- In the Netherlands, students with Dutch citizenship get free public transportation country-wide in trains, trams, buses and metro. Students who are studying at universities of applied sciences and universities need to finish their degree ten years after starting it or they will need to pay back the amount of money.{{Cite web |title=Student Travel Product (Student OV) {{!}} NS |url=https://www.ns.nl/en/students/studentenreisproduct-students-ov.html |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=Dutch Railways |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Studentenreisproduct |url=https://duo.nl/particulier/ov-en-reizen/ |access-date=23 August 2023 |website= Dienst uitvoering onderwij |language=nl}}
- Throughout Spain, from 1 September to 31 December 2022, all multi-trip ticket train journeys on commuter services and medium-distance routes (less than {{convert|300|km|mi}}) were made free of charge.{{cite news |last=Gadhavi |first=Jasmine |date=15 July 2022 |title=Spain announces free rail journeys from September until the end of the year |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/jul/15/spain-announces-free-rail-journeys-from-september-until-the-end-of-the-year |work=The Guardian |access-date=27 September 2023}}
- Since March 2024, the Hungarian national railway company MÁV does not charge those of ages 65 and over and 14 and under for transportation.{{cite web | url=https://dailynewshungary.com/key-changes-in-hungarian-public-transport-summarised-in-10-points/ | title=Key changes in Hungarian public transport summarised in 10 points - Daily News Hungary | date=10 January 2024 }} Buses of the company Volánbusz can also be used free of charge from people of these same age ranges.{{cite web |access-date=2024-04-17 |language=en |publisher=VOLÁNBUSZ |title=Domestic fares - Travel information |url=https://www.volanbusz.hu/en/travel-information/buying-ticket/domestic-fares}}
List of towns and cities with area-wide zero-fare transport
{{further|List of free public transport routes}}
= Europe =
{{sticky header}}{{table alignment}}
= Asia =
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Town/City ! Population ! Operator ! Begin operation ! Duration ! Notes | |||||
| {{flagicon|Russia}} {{hs|Cheremushki, Russia}}Cheremushki, Khakassia, Russia | 9,000 | trams are serviced by Dam's staff | zero fare is official to anybody (de jure service line because the taxes would be higher than revenues) | ||
| {{flagicon|Indonesia}} Jakarta, Indonesia | 10,770,487 | TransJakarta | {{start date and age|df=yes|2016| |
|-
| {{flagicon|Malaysia}} Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia||1,790,000||SKS Bus||{{start date and age|df=yes|2012|08|31}}|| ||Go KL City Bus
|-
| {{flagicon|India}} New Delhi, India||20,000,000 (concerned for 9,000,000 women)||State Government||2019|| ||free bus services for women
|-
| {{flagicon|Israel}} Tel Aviv District, Israel||1,350,000||Na'im Busofash||22 November 2019|| ||Free weekend public transportation array that exists in 6 authorities in Gush Dan – Givatayim, Kiryat Ono, Ramat HaSharon, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Yehud-Monosson and Shoham.
|-
| {{flagicon|Israel}} Tiberias, Israel||41,300||Tiberias city council||2019|| ||one bus line that goes on Saturdays
|-
| {{flagicon|Korea}} Hwaseong, Korea||934,441||Hwaseong city||2020|| ||Fare-free bus service for the children, youth, and elderly
|-
| {{flagicon|Thailand}} Bangkok, Thailand||8,249,000||several|||| ||In some bus lines in older unair-conditioned bus (fare prices are also about age/equipment of bus). Also time and again for new public metro tracks for several months.
|-
| {{flagicon|Turkey}} Ovacık, Turkey||6,998||Ovacık municipality||2014|| ||All municipality-operated buses are free{{cite web |title=Maçoğlu'ndan 'ücretsiz ulaşım' açıklaması: Kâr-zarar hesabı yapılmaz, halkın parası bu |url=https://haber.sol.org.tr/haber/macoglundan-ucretsiz-ulasim-aciklamasi-kar-zarar-hesabi-yapilmaz-halkin-parasi-bu-331783 |publisher=soL |access-date=2 July 2022 |language=tr |date=6 April 2022}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Turkey}} Tunceli, Turkey||38,429||Tunceli municipality||2019|| ||Free in three neighbourhoods that doesn't have privately operated public bus
|-
| {{flagicon|India}} Tamil Nadu, India||72,147,030 (concerned for 36,009,055 women)||State Government||2021|| ||free metro and bus services for women{{cite web|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/social-issues/gender/free-rides-women-empowerment-tamil-nadu-bus-ticket-scheme-critical-evaluation/article34793039.ece|title=Tamil Nadu launches free bus travel for women's empowerment|date=18 June 2021 |access-date=26 January 2024|df=dmy-all}}
|-
|}
=Americas=
== Brazil ==
File:Tarifa Zero VGP.png, Brazil]]
== Canada ==
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Town/City !Population !Operator !First Year !Duration !Notes |
| Candiac, Quebec
|21,000 | |2014 | | |
| Canmore, Alberta
|13,000 |ROAM |2019 | |
| Cold Lake, Alberta
|15,000 |Cold Lake Transit | | |
| La Prairie, Quebec
|23,000 | |2014 | | |
| Mont Tremblant, Quebec
|10,000 |Mont-Tremblant Public Transit |2019 | |
| Orangeville, Ontario
|30,700 |2023 | |
| Sainte-Julie, Quebec
|30,000 | |2014 | | |
| Saint-Philippe, Quebec
|5,500 | |2014 | | |
== United States ==
{{see also|Free public transport in Massachusetts}}
Perception and analysis
Fare-free transit has been repeatedly demonstrated to increase ridership—especially during non-peak travel periods—and customer satisfaction.{{cite web |last1=D'Alessandro |first1=Antonio |title=Fare-Free Transit – A Strategy for Sustainable Transportation |url=http://www.bv.transports.gouv.qc.ca/mono/1023088/06_Municipalites_zones_urbaines/15_Fare_free_transit_strategy_sustainable_transportation.pdf |website=Gouvernement du Québec |publisher=Government of Quebec |access-date=18 November 2021}} Several analyses{{cite journal |last1=Studenmund |first1=A.H. |last2=Connor |first2=David |title=The free-fare transit experiments |journal=Transportation Research Part A: General |date=July 1982 |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=261–269 |doi=10.1016/0191-2607(82)90053-X }}{{cite journal |first1=L.B. |last1=Doxsey |first2=B.D. |last2=Spear |title=Free-Fare Transit: Some Empirical Findings |journal=Transportation Research Record |date=1981 |issue=799 |pages=47–49 |url=https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1981/799/799-010.pdf }}{{cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=Jeffrey |last2=Hess |first2=Daniel Baldwin |last3=Shoup |first3=Donald |title=Fare-Free Public Transit at Universities: An Evaluation |journal=Journal of Planning Education and Research |date=September 2003 |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=69–82 |doi=10.1177/0739456X03255430 }} have shown ridership increased by as much as 15% overall and about 45% during the off-peak periods. The effects on public transport operators included schedule adherence problems because of the increased ridership and more complaints about rowdiness from younger passengers, though obviously there were no more direct conflicts with passengers regarding fare collection. When the University of California, Los Angeles covered fares for the university community, ridership increased by 56% in the first year and solo driving fell by 20% (though one older study showed no measurable impact on automobile use).
In the United States, mass transit systems that collect fares are only expected to generate about 10% of the annual revenue themselves, with the remainder covered by either public or private investment and advertisements. Therefore, politicians and social-justice advocacy groups, such as the Swedish network Planka.nu, see zero-fare public transport as a low-cost, high-impact approach to reducing economic inequality.{{cite web|url=http://planka.nu/eng|title=Free public transport |website=Planka.nu}} It has also been argued that transportation to and from work is essential to the employer in the managing of work hours, so financing of public transportation should fall to employers rather than private individuals or public funds.[http://planka.nu/vad-tycker-vi/kollektivtrafik-ska-vara-avgiftsfri Planka.nu: Kollektivtrafik ska vara avgiftsfri] (tr. Public transport must be free of charge) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415201440/http://planka.nu/vad-tycker-vi/kollektivtrafik-ska-vara-avgiftsfri |date=2009-04-15 }} (Swedish)
See also
- Car-free movement
- Effects of the car on societies
- Movimento Passe Livre, Brazilian movement campaigning for free public transport
- Planka.nu Swedish membership network which pays the penalty fare if you get caught without paying ticket
- Reduced fare programs
- Transport divide
- Universal basic services
- Universal transit pass
- Urban vitality
- 9-Euro-Ticket (in Germany in June, July and August 2022)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://freepublictransport.info/ freepublictransports.com] Network of groups promoting free public transport
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20210411011808/http://www.freepublictransit.org/ freepublictransit.org] Advocacy website
- [http://www.ptua.org.au/myths/free.shtml Argument against free public transport]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxKsk6qezKU Luxembourg to trial free public transport to tackle congestion]. Sky News report on YouTube. Published/uploaded on 23 December 2019.
{{Public transport}}