German cities to trial free public transport to cut
pollution
Plan to be tested in five cities in effort to meet EU air
pollution targets and avoid big fines
By Philip Oltermann, The Guardian, Wed 14 Feb 2018
Public transport is hugely popular in Germany, with 10.3
billion journeys being made in 2017. A plan to trial free public transport is
part of an effort to reduce road traffic. [Photograph: Alamy Stock]
“Car nation” Germany has surprised
neighbours with a radical proposal to reduce road traffic by making public
transport free, as Berlin scrambles to meet EU air pollution targets and avoid
big fines.
The move comes just over two years after Volkswagen’s
devastating “dieselgate” emissions cheating scandal unleashed a wave of
anger at the auto industry, a keystone of German prosperity.
“We are considering public transport free of charge in order
to reduce the number of private cars,” three ministers including the
environment minister, Barbara Hendricks, wrote to EU environment commissioner
Karmenu Vella in the letter seen by AFP Tuesday.
“Effectively fighting
air pollution without any further unnecessary delays is of the highest priority
for Germany,” the ministers added.
The proposal will be tested by “the end of this year at the
latest” in five cities across western Germany, including former capital Bonn
and industrial cities Essen and Mannheim.
The move is a radical one for the normally staid world of
German politics – especially as Chancellor Angela Merkel is presently only
governing in a caretaker capacity, as Berlin waits for the centre-left Social
Democratic party (SPD) to confirm a hard-fought
coalition deal.
On top of ticketless travel, other steps proposed Tuesday
include further restrictions on emissions from vehicle fleets like buses and taxis,
low-emissions zones or support for car-sharing schemes.
Action is needed soon, as Germany and eight fellow EU
members including Spain, France and Italy sailed past a 30 January deadline to
meet EU limits on nitrogen dioxide and fine particles.
Vella gave countries extra time to present further
pollution-busting measures or face legal action.
“Life-threatening” pollution affects more than 130 cities in
Europe, according
to the commission, causing some 400,000 deaths and costing €20bn euros
(US$24.7bn) in health spending per year in the bloc.
Countries that fail to keep to EU limits could face legal
action at the European court of justice, the EU’s highest tribunal, which can
levy fines on member states.
Even without the pressure from Brussels, air quality has
surged to the top of Berlin’s priorities over the past year.
Suspicions over manipulated emissions data have spread to
other car manufacturers since Volkswagen’s 2015 admission to cheating
regulatory tests on 11 million vehicles worldwide.
Environmentalists brought court cases aimed at banning
diesels from parts of some city centres, and fears millions of drivers could be
affected spurred Merkel into action.
Titans like BMW, Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler or the world’s
biggest carmaker Volkswagen agreed to pay some €250m euros into a billion-euro
fund to upgrade local transport.
The government “should make sure that the car manufacturers
finance the emergency measure” of free transport, Greenpeace urged, adding that
more parking and road tolls in cities could help reduce urban traffic.
On their own account, the auto firms have stepped up plans
to electrify their ranges, with a barrage of battery-powered or hybrid models
planned for the coming decade.
Public transport is highly popular in Germany, with the
number of journeys increasing regularly over the past 20 years to reach 10.3
billion in 2017.
In comparison with other major European nations, tickets can
be cheap: a single ticket in Berlin costs €2.90, while the equivalent on the
London Underground costs £4.90 (€5.50 or $6.80).
But cities were quick to warn that more planning was needed
if free travel was to succeed.
“I don’t know any manufacturer who would be able to deliver
the number of electric buses we would need” to meet increased demand if
transport was free, Bonn mayor Ashok Sridharan told news agency DPA.
Meanwhile, the Association of German Cities chief, Helmut
Dedy, warned that “we expect a clear statement about how [free transport] will
be financed” from the federal government.
Other attempts around the world to offer citizens free travel
have failed, including in the US city of Seattle.
Ministers “should think again during a ride on the U6
[underground line] in Berlin at 7.30 am,” Die Welt newspaper commented.
“The conclusion would be clear: more carriages, more
personnel, and maybe even more tracks and lines would be needed. Where would
the billions for that come from?”
