Hello there, have you ever made use of public transport? Of course, you have! Isn’t it a shame that they charge us for using them? Public transport exists to facilitate the public, yet the public has to pay to use it? That sounds horrible, wonder what can be done about it? Enter Luxembourg, the world’s first country that has plans of making all of its public transportation free.
Isn’t that delightful news? Just imagine, you don’t have to pay a single penny when you are travelling in Luxembourg via public transportation. The newly re-elected prime minister Xavier Bettel and the coalition government in Luxembourg have announced that they will be removing the fares from all trains, trams, and buses in next summer. This is being done to help with the problem of long commutes and Luxembourg’s carbon footprint. The basic idea at play is that by making public transportation free, people would be more inclined to make use of them rather than causing traffic congestion.
Luxembourg is landlocked by Germany, France, and Belgium. It has over 400,000 commuters making their way to work from neighboring countries. This year, Luxembourg has begun to offer free transportation to everyone that is under the age of 20. Secondary school students have also been provided with free shuttle rides between their homes and schools. The country currently has the biggest number of cars for its population in the European Union.
A decision has still to be made, according to reports, about what do with the first and second-class compartments on trains. As of right now, commuters pay €2 for up to two hours of travel. This covers almost all of the trips in the country. The coalition government said that it has plans for overhauling the tax breaks for commuters, a benefit based on the distance traveled. What do you think of this initiative? Do let us know!