Luxembourgians will be able to take the bus or train from
Saturday without reaching into the wallet, as this small European kingdom will
become the first country in the world to introduce free public transport.
Some cities in the world have already partially implemented
free systems - at certain times or for certain means of transport - but for the
first time it applies to an entire country, according to the Luxembourg
Ministry of Mobility.
The gratuity, claimed as "an important social
measure", will benefit 40% of the homes of the Grand Duchy, which use
public transport and save about 100 euros a year.
The measure is also aimed at reducing traffic jams,
especially when the vehicle is the most used means of transport: 47% of
commuting for work reasons and 71% for pleasure, according to a 2018 TNS Ilres
survey.
This country of about 610,000 inhabitants, whose size is
equivalent to one eighth of El Salvador, is reputed for its traffic jams in the
center of the capital, where the construction of the tram has been underway for
years.
The first section of the tram has been operational since the
end of 2017. 32% of commuting to work are done by bus, while the train is used
by 19%.
“I think I will take public transport a little more often,”
acknowledges Xavier Desurmont, 42, who sometimes goes to work by train,
arriving at the central station in less than 15 minutes.
Desurmont fears however that the measure does not reduce
road traffic in the city. "There will be fewer bicycles and fewer
pedestrians, since for many, avoiding paying the ticket was an incentive for
sports," he says.
The income generated by the sale of tickets and passes
amounts to 41 million euros per year, which represents 8% of the annual cost of
public transport and will now be financed by taxes, according to the
authorities.
Luxembourg plans to reorganize its regional bus network by
2021 with the aim of making it the densest in Europe, according to its Mobility
Minister, the ecologist François Bausch. (AFP-TVSHAMROCK).
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