Good list of free buses in Penang, Malaysia

Insider: "The MPPP (Penang Municipal Council) Rapid Penang CAT (central area transit) free shuttle bus service, launched in January 2009, covers the ferry terminal at Weld Quay to Jalan Penang. It also covers the George Town Unesco World Heritage City's core and buffer zones.

More recently, a similar free shuttle service was extended to Pulau Tikus. Fully sponsored by popular local malls Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon, the free Rapid Penang loop shuttle bus service offers transport between the two premier shopping outlets and around the Pulau Tikus area, with the aim to help reduce traffic congestion.

Rapid Penang also runs the Rapid BEST (Bridge Express Shuttle Transit), a free service that aims to reduce the volume of traffic travelling across the Penang Bridge to the Free Industrial Zone in Bayan Lepas on the island."

Transit ‘Lift’ arrives at South Nevada County mobile home parks - #freetransit

TheUnion.com: "For the first time, free public bus transportation is now available to residents of five mobile home parks along Highway 49 south of Grass Valley and north of Alta Sierra."

Skuodas approves free public transport (Lithuania) | Eltis

Eltis: "A local official said that by making public transport free they will improve the environment in the city for citizens. Car ownership in Skuodas is high and it is hoped that a free bus service will encourage more people to use the buses, thereby reducing car traffic and air pollution within the city."

Yet another town in France adopts #freetransit

A new city going to free public transport: "It was an election promise of the mayor, the town of Gaillac in the Tarn (13,629 people) will to free transport on September 13. Gaillac French will be the 26th city to pass to the free public transport ."

Georgetown, Guyana, Ministry starts free public transport system

Stabroek News: "The Ministry of Public Works says it has implemented a free public transportation system to reduce the long wait citizens endure on a daily basis. In a release today, the Ministry said that the initiative began on Saturday, September 13, 2014.

Four 44-seater buses are working various routes, the release added. Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, will be meeting with the contractors of the buses today at 4.30 pm at the Stabroek Market Bus Park, the release said."

常宁:一座“穷城” 五年免费公交-搜狐财经 - Five years #freetransit in Changning

常宁:一座“穷城” 五年免费公交-搜狐财经: "2012年，常宁市公交车事故平均每月不足3起，多为轻微刮擦事故，全年无伤亡事故。
　　有市民说，此前一家六口公交费用上千，现在全都省下了。
　　2008年起，常宁公交开始免费，成为全国首个实行公交免费的县城，如今时近五年。此举每年为市民节省出行开支3300万。
　　政府魄力何在？他们是怎样做到的？发轫何处？钱从何来？
　　本月，三湘华声记者赴常宁调查，寻访免费公交的幕后故事。记者 戴鹏"

Islamic State Provide Free Public Transport in Ninawa

Islamic State Provide Free Public Transport in Ninawa | Al Mustaqbal English | Islamic States – Caliphate of Abu Bakr Al Baghdady: "After repairing roads and rebuilding Ninawa province, which was destroyed by the war. Now the Islamic State provide free public transport for the citizen. Islamic State official media of Niniveh/Ninawa, post several photos that show the joy of people, they are glad with this policy.  Now people in the Islamic State can travel between cities in all regions of the Islamic State, with comfortable and easy."



'via Blog this'

Now 26 towns in France with #freetransit - ridership up 150% in Gaillac

carfree france : "It was an election promise of the mayor, the town of Gaillac in the Tarn (13 629 inhabitants) go to free public transport on September 13. Gaillac French will be the 26th city to pass to the free transit .

On June 11, the elected council of Gaillac were particularly careful when reporting network activity "Bougenbus", composed of six bus lines.

With nearly 84,000 trips recorded from September 2012 to August 2013, traffic increased by 150% in one year. "

Latest map of #freetransit in Poland

See list here

Noosa's free buses a runaway success over Easter

Noosa News: ""It was pleasing to see that 40% of passengers surveyed said that, if the buses were not free, they would have used a private vehicle instead," Mr Drydale said.

"This indicates that the free holiday buses program contributed to reducing congestion.

"A 97% satisfaction rate from survey respondents regarding their trip also tells us we're heading in the right direction."

Survey results showed 40% of locals said they would use public transport more in the future as a result of the program and 19% said while they rarely caught a bus at other times, this Easter they left the car behind and caught a bus instead.

Free holiday buses are funded by Noosa Council public transport levy and delivered in partnership with TransLink. The program aims to reduce traffic congestion in Noosa and encourage people to give public transport a go."

Newly-launched free bus service in PJ will cut costs and reduce pollution

The Star Online: "Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association president Datuk Dr Marimuthu Nadason said, a person using the free bus to travel to work instead of driving could achieve an average annual savings of RM6,000.

Calculations, he said, were made based on petrol price and the average parking rate.

“With the escalating cost of living, using free public transportation is an excellent way to stretch the household budget. Savings from using free public transportation allows a person to have extra cash in the pocket,” he said."

#Freetransit a big success in Kuala Lumpur

GTP 2013: Better efficiency boosts public transport ridership - Latest - New Straits Times: "To encourage more people to use public transport, the government also emphasised improving passenger facilities such as constructing more Park ‘n’ Ride facilities at major LRT stations and providing the free GO-KL city bus service. "

Free buses in Île d'Orléans, Quebec, get high user rating

The Guardian: "TRANSPORT - With satisfaction bordering on perfection for services, users seem to enjoy the service of public transit MRC de La Côte-de-Beaupré and Île d'Orléans, PLUMobile."

In Poland #freetransit getting lots of media coverage

Polish Radio Katowice Picks | Free public transport in Zory: "Residents Zory can now make free use of public transport.

After the city will run seven lines operated by 8 modern buses.

- We are the first municipality in Poland, which introduced a fully free public transport - says Bronislaw Pruchnicki, presidential adviser Zory for the infrastructure."

#Freetransit leads to more riders, more buses

Photo credit: BeeFortyTwo (cc)

Green Blog: ""The result is incredible," said Niklas Sirén, Vice Chairman of the municipal executive board in Kiruna. "We did not dare set a figure as a goal. There is a very strong car culture, it is sparsely populated here and we figured Kiruna residents are deeply rooted in their driving. We were pleasantly surprised. More people are choosing to leave their cars more often."

Niklas Sirén and his local Left Party was behind the suggestion to introduce free public transportation in 2011 on a trial basis. Back then, in 2010, only 120 000 trips were made. But since free public transit was introduced, travel has tripled in Kiruna and the experiment has now become permanent. Last year more than 387 000 trips were made in Kiruna.

"This has broken a downward spiral for public transport," Sirén said to ETC. "Previously, there would mostly be only empty buses. Now comes the expectation of more rides and lines. The next step is to expand public transport.""

20 towns in France have #freetransit, and plan to keep it.

Les opposants à la gratuité: "La gratuité des transports en commun en milieu urbain est un phénomène qui, tout en restant encore marginal, tend à se développer sur la période récente. Aujourd’hui, on compte en France une vingtaine de villes ou d’agglomérations qui ont instauré la gratuité totale des transports en commun. Bien mieux, certaines villes où la gratuité existe depuis plus de 20 ans n’ont pas l’intention de changer de modèle. Par ailleurs, lors des dernières élections municipales de 2014 de nombreux candidats, de droite comme de gauche, ont proposé d’instaurer la gratuité des transports en commun."

Towns in Poland with full or partial #freetransit

Free Public Transport (Polish/English)

May 1st, Swidnica joins the growing list of towns in Poland with free public transport

ws-24.pl - Free public transport in Swidnica! : "From May 1 Swidnica residents will enjoy free public transport. It is a privilege for those who are in town and checked in for those who pay their taxes in Swidnica. only document which will allow for the free ride is an identity card or identity card for students. "

Kiruna, Sweden, ridership triples on free buses

Gratisbussar gör succé i Kiruna | Kommunalarbetaren: "I Kiruna är det gratis att åka buss, något som har gjort att resandet har trefaldigats.
Nu väljer kommunen att permanenta försöket.

Det var 2011 som Kiruna kommun gjorde alla bussresor i kommunen gratis. Bakom förslaget låg Vänsterpartiet, som har gratis kollektivtrafik i sitt partiprogram. Partiet anser att all kollektivtrafik ska bekostas via skattsedeln i stället.

Och i Kiruna har alltså nolltaxan blivit en succé. Tre gånger så många åker kollektivt sedan det blev gratis."

Ridership triples with #freetransit in Polish town

(© archiwum)

Free public transport? In Gostyniu paid off! - Gloswielkopolski.pl: "Free public transport in Municipal Gostyniu runs from the beginning of the year. Journeys are financed by the society. And I think I can speak with great success: free rides three times more passengers than before. Interestingly, to travel free of charge do not have to be a resident of Gostynia nor carry any documents. Drivers take all who stand at the bus stop."

More small towns in Poland turn to #freetransit

Darmowa komunikacja miejska? Autobusy przeżywają oblężenie: "Na początku 2013 roku Europę zaszokowała stolica Estonii Tallin, która oznajmiła, że wszyscy będą tam jeździć autobusami za darmo. Tallin ma 400 tys. mieszkańców. To największe europejskie miasto, gdzie nie trzeba płacić w autobusie za bilet. W Polsce głośno jest ostatnio o Warszawie, która co prawda nie wprowadza darmowych przejazdów, ale dla każdego zameldowanego w stolicy oferuje zniżki. Na przykład za trzymiesięczny karnet na wszystkie linie komunikacji miejskiej warszawiak zapłaci 250 zł, a przyjezdny 280 zł. Za miesięczny - 98 zł zamiast 110. Ma to skłonić niezameldowanych, a mieszkających w stolicy, do meldunku i płacenia tu podatków. Ale nad Wisłą prym w darmowej komunikacji wiodą małe miasta."

Translation from https://www.facebook.com/szymon.martys

the article is about free public transport being more and more popular in Poland, it mentions Gostyń which has put in force free public transportation (for a year, but the city authorities are thinking it may be much longer) after a unanimous vote among citizens discussing the civil budget and those already known (as Ząbki, where free public transport is for inhabitants, Nysa, where it is for drivers and Kielce, where there are 2 bus free lines in the city center), but the text doesn`t mention Otmuchów (where there are now free buses from the municipality to the city center in Otmuchów and to nearby Nysa), Olkusz and the nearby municipality`s (where there is a free public transport for car drivers, similar to Nysa) and Żory (where free transport for everyone will start in May this year)