FREE TRAVEL: A BAD 'GOOD IDEA'

摘要

The idea of making public transport free, for a variety of reasons, is regularly raised in various parts of the world. As we report in Headline News, the German government has made a formal proposal to the EU to make transport free in some cities as a solution to traffic congestion. Coincidentally, the Mayor of Paris has come up with a similar proposal in recent weeks and (far less significantly) my town of residence is debating the idea. The argument for free public transport is that it is bound to persuade people out of their cars, thus reducing congestion and pollution, and it will help poor people. Costs will be reduced by removing the need for tickets, and therefore ticket sales staff and other people to check that people have paid. There are other "dafter" reasons given for making transport free - a suggestion locally is that it will encourage more people into our declining town centre. I say "daft" because the same bus services run out to the competing shopping centres in the suburbs.