Experts explain why free buses, trams and trains aren’t the magic wand that solves the problem as countries try to increase public transport use.
Luxembourg recently celebrated the third anniversary of free public transport. And according to the people who live there, it was a huge success.
With countries trying to encourage people to give up their cars to cut their carbon footprint, could Luxembourg’s success be replicated across Europe?
“The quality of public transport needs to change completely,” said François Bosch, Luxembourg’s deputy prime minister and minister of transport, public works and defense.
“There is no magic wand. No single mode of transport solves all problems, it must be truly multimodal and combined.”
How has Luxembourg transformed its transport network?
Bausch explains that the country has decided to make public transport free for two reasons. It is about providing equitable access for all and encouraging discussion and awareness of the changes in the mobility system over the decade.
It dates back to 2013, when Mr. Bausch first assumed the position. rush hour traffic jam It was a daily occurrence in central Luxembourg City. There is no such thing today, thanks to the increased use of trams and the reorganization of the way roads are operated.
Trams have exclusive right-of-way and have priority at intersections, so you won’t get stuck in traffic. This, coupled with the fact that it’s free, encourages more people to use it. Bausch sees this as a measure of the success of Luxembourg’s transport transformation.
car It hasn’t completely disappeared, and the country still has the highest car ownership per household in Europe. About 230,000 people cross the border into Luxembourg for work every day, and 75% of his trips are done by car.
“We should be arguing for something, not against something,” says Bausch.
“I don’t make policy for cars, I make policies for other mobility systems in which cars play a role.”
Will making public transport free will encourage more people to use public transport?
Making public transport free is not necessarily the solution either. Works in wealthy countries like Luxembourg But for others, the goal should be to make it cheap, easy to use, and accessible.
A recent Greenpeace report on public transport across Europe said lower fares were one of the “easiest and quickest ways” to encourage people to use public transport. there is For this to work, the cost must be lower than the cost of running the car.
And public transport in Luxembourg is not really free for most people.
“It’s clearly paid through general taxation, and people who actually pay a lot of it don’t have access to transportation, so they’re paying it indirectly through taxes,” Bausch said.
“But those who have no or little income, for example, are those who pay no tax or pay very little direct tax, and they really get it for free.”
When it comes to price cuts greenpeace report It highlights other potential sources of funding such as fossil fuel subsidies, taxes on airline tickets, and removal of VAT from airline tickets.
Are there other ways to encourage the use of public transportation?
Another big factor that keeps people from using cars is how easy it is to navigate the transportation network.
“You can make public transport free, but then it can derail very quickly because there is no infrastructure.”[structure] It’s related to that,” said Gerald Ruijers, director of DG Move, the European Commission agency responsible for transport within the EU.
“There is no ticketing linked to it, no combination between the various modes, or any connection between them and you. You are out.”
Luxembourg’s transformation is still far away More than free transportationsays Bausch. Over the past few years, the state has invested around €500 per capita per year, including in modernizing and expanding the rail network.
“We invest four, five, six times more than other European countries in improving the quality of our rail network. We have also completely reformed our state-owned buses.”
“If you want people to change their habits, you have to see if the alternatives actually work,” he added.
Why should we move to public transportation instead of cars?
Whether free or not, the main goal is to get more people to use public transport. But if the future is so, why? Electric car?
“Public transport is many times more efficient than private transport,” Ruitjers explains.
“For example, an individual car consumes about seven times as much electricity. I am not talking about trains, trams, subways, etc., but future electric vehicles.”
This means that even if we fully decarbonize in the future, we will still have to rely on public transport for capacity and capacity, he says. energy efficiency.
“Finding the balance between what we need to achieve a livable planet and what it takes to ensure it is socially tolerable for all.” concludes Ruygers.
Watch the video above to learn more about how Europe can transform public transport.
