With the incoming government focused on prioritizing environmental protection, Luxembourg will become the first country in the world to make all public transport free. Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who was re-elected to the top job for a second term, has announced that all fares on trams, buses, and trains will be lifted come next.
Prioritizing environmental protection was one of the campaign platforms for Bettel. He has followed through on that promise by announcing soon after his re-election that fares on all public transportation methods will be removed.
The move will not only be good for the environment, it will also help reduce some of the worst traffic congestion in the capital Luxembourg City. More than 110,000 people call the city home with an additional 40,000 commuting into the city for work. A recent study showed that drivers in Luxembourg City spend 33 hours on average in traffic jams as of 2016.
Luxembourg has recently been showing a more progressive attitude towards public transportation than most other countries. It started providing free transport for young adults under the age of 20 and children this summer. It even offers free shuttles to secondary school students between their homes and institutions. Now, starting next summer, it will completely abolish all tickets for public transportations and save money on the collection of fares and supervision of ticket purchases.
Filed in .. Source: theguardian