[sustran] Re: Info on Free Public Transport or Transit

[etts at indigo.ie]

Roland, 

I have heard that zero fares have been tried in parts of Flanders (north
Belgium). There was certainly a political push to do this, but I'm not sure
if it ever got off the ground. The public sector transport operator is De
Lijn, and they are the monopoly service provider. 

Their website is www.delijn.be  Although this is in Flemish, if you can
read Dutch or German you should be able to get by. In any case, there is a
Contact section which should allow you to get to someone who can help you.
English is reasonably well known there. If you have any difficulty making
contact with them, write me at etts at indigo.ie and I will talk to some
people I know there. 

You might also try www.eltis.org which has information on public transport
(mostly or all in Europe). There is a case study or best practice section,
and perhaps you will find something useful there. 

Rome tried it for a few years (I think in the 1970's). The ridership
increased a little, but I heard that was due to people making short trips
they previously would have walked, and the derelicts using it to pass the
time.

To my opinion, free travel is not a good way to go. People are generally
willing to pay something for their travel, and few people expect to get
anything for nothing. What people object to is paying for rubbish or for
unpleasant experiences. 

I don't know the context in Auckland, but I reckon it's not rubbish. If
it's reasonably OK, then why give it away for free? If people are unhappy
with the quality, spend the money on getting it right, and charge people
for it. If people feel it's not frequent enough or going to enough places,
spend the money on more buses and a redesign of the network. And charge
them for it. Or bring in demand responsive transport, and charge them only
the regular bus fare for it. If the bus services are bogged down in
congestion, build a busway or take some street space at the expense of the
car. That might take political courage, but it will have real results. If
there are socially vulnerable groups, target both subsidised tickets and
suitable services for their needs, but charge realistic fares to the
majority of the population who can well afford it.  

Whatever you decide, I wish you good luck on this one. But you might ask
yourself why all around the world there are very few examples anyone can
give you.

With best wishes, 

Brendan Finn. 
etts at indigo.ie


Original Message:
-----------------
From:  roland at actrix.co.nz
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 09:47:36 +1300 (NZDT)
To: sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org
Subject: [sustran] Info on Free Public Transport or Transit


Hi

Recently a proposal has been floated in New Zealand's major city Auckland
for a zero fare policy coupled with a massive expansion of the bus
service.  I am aware of the range of factors besides fares which influence
use of bus services.

I would be interested in knowing of any examples or evaluations of free
public transport, as the only specific example I have been able to find is
in inner-city Perth in Western Austrailia.

Any suggestions or pointers much appreciated

Thanks in advance for any help

Roland Sapsford
Advisor
Green Party in the Parliament of Aotearoa New Zealand



--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .