(03 March 2020) – Luxembourg abolished fares for trains, trams and buses on Saturday (28 February) in what the government said was a bid to tackle road congestion and pollution, as well as supporting low earners.
All standard-class journeys on public transport in the tiny and wealthy European country are now free of charge, compared to an annual pass worth €440 before.
Travellers can still pay for first class, at a cost of €660 a year. Luxembourg has just over 600,000 inhabitants, but 214,000 more travel in for work every day from neighbouring Germany, Belgium and France, causing heavy traffic jams as the majority of workers commute by car. More than half of Luxembourg’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transport.
Despite these investments, the government expects 65% of commuters to still get to work by car in 2025, down from 73% in 2017.
Luxembourg is the first country to roll out free transport, but some cities, including Estonian capital Tallinn, have also experimented with the idea. (EurActiv)