Luxembourg has become the first country to offer a free public transport system, as their government abolished fares for all trams, trains and buses across the entire European country.
Some cities have taken similar partial measures but the transport ministry said it was the only time such a decision had encompassed an entire country.
The scheme applies to all Luxembourg residents – who number about 614,000 – as well as cross-border commuters and tourists.
The majority of business trips — 47% — are made by car. Roughly 66% of people in the country own their own cars.
The only exception are international and first-class train tickets, whose fees will remain in place. Trains account for only 19% of daily transport use and buses only 32%.
Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister, Francois Bausch said the plan would reduce congestion in the capital, Luxembourg City, and cut pollution.
He told Reuters that;
The main reason is to have better quality of mobility, and then the side reason is clearly also environmental issues. For people with low incomes or the minimum wage, for them it’s really substantial.
The exception to the free-for-all public transport system will be first-class travel on trains and certain night bus services.
