#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)