
The cost of Luxembourg's free public transport plan - niea_11
http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20190128-the-cost-of-luxembourgs-free-public-transport-plan
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vincebowdren
One inference here I disagree with:

 _One unexpected downside emerged in a study of the switch in Tallinn. The
average trip length dropped by 10%, suggesting people were using public
transport to replace trips they might otherwise have taken on foot or by bike,
rather than in their cars._

Ticket pricing often makes it expensive to take multiple short trips, so users
of paid public transport are skewed towards those taking single longer
journeys (e.g. commuting nonstop). Making public transport free enables it for
those who need to make multiple shorter trips - for example women with part-
time jobs on top of childcare.

Another possible change with the free public transport is that it enables
commuters to break their journey as they wish; I myself often stop off at a
particular shop on the way home for groceries - but this is only practical
because my prepaid bus pass allows unlimited journeys. If I was paying for
each journey separately, I would stay on the bus all the way home and miss out
on my preferred shop.

