Free transit: a smog-fighting solution?
BERLIN— When the discussion turns to the rising costs of living in many global cities, one factor rarely goes unmentioned: public transport fees. New Yorkers only spend about $116.50 (U.S.) per month on average, compared with up to $200 in London.
Many Germans, however, might soon have to spend a whooping $0.
The country of parental leave, short work weeks and Lederhosen may soon embark on a bold, new experiment: mak- ing public transport free.
For a start, residents of five middlesized cities are expected to benefit from the scheme this year, but it could eventually result in the end of bus or subway tickets across the country.
So far, experiments with free public transport have usually been short-lived. When Paris was plagued by thick smog in 2014, authorities responded with an unprecedented idea — banning half of all cars and making public transport free. But the measures only lasted one week.
Germany’s latest, and more radical, plans are similarly supposed to solve the lingering problem of air pollution in German cities, which recently prompted the threat of major EU fines.
In Germany, the move might convince many vehicle owners to take the subway instead, the government hopes. But it could also overburden public transport networks in major cities such as Berlin, Hamburg or Munich.
And would money alone be sufficient to get Germany’s public transport ready for the possible influx? Berlin’s new airport, for example, was supposed to open six years ago.
The saga of the airport highlights the country’s struggle with large-scale infrastructure projects — or perhaps this is all part of an ingenious plot to force Germans to book environmentally friendly trains instead of polluting planes.