Gisele Woon
Image credit: Polina Sushko
Yup, you heard it right: Free public transport! If you’re residing somewhere within Southeast Asia, we regret to inform that it’s not your country.
The lucky country is in fact — Luxembourg. As part of a new environmental initiative, Luxembourg Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, announced that all fares for trains, trams and buses will be scrapped by 2020.
Image credit: MAL QUERER
Located in the heart of Western Europe, Luxembourg offers easy access to neighbouring countries such as Belgium, Germany and France. In addition to having a stunning ratio of 662 cars for every 1’000 people, this tiny nation sees over 400’000 commuters regularly travelling to and fro’ from neighbouring countries.
Facing one of the worst cases of traffic congestion in the world, it is no wonder the government has decided to start such an initiative. By eliminating all fees for public transport, the hope is that this would encourage more people to utilize these services — and in turn, decrease vehicle traffic and carbon footprints.
Image credit: Guenther Dillingen
It may come as a surprise, but such an initiative is not a new phenomenon. As urban areas have become more crowded and roads more congested, city governments have been experimenting with initiatives to encourage public transport usage. In 2013, Tallinn became the world’s first capital city to offer residents free public transport, while Paris is now testing the idea by giving low-income seniors and disable persons a free monthly pass.
Free transport and save the environment at the same time? Count us in!
