Estonia will become The World’s First Free Public Transport Nation.
Tallin is often referred to as Europe’s innovation capital, known for its digital government and successful tech startups. Five years ago, public transport was made free for all citizens, and the government’s plan is to extend this situation to the whole nation.
The lessons learnt from the implementation at municipal level prove that not only the costs are covered, but there was a surplus for the city, stimulating the mobility of different income groups. To benefit from this situation, citizens must be registered as a resident.
As well as the environmental benefits, Tallin in taking actions to make individual transport less attractive: raising parking fees in the city, making park-and-ride available.
Other cities in European countries are considering this option, maybe in a lesser extent, and are using their cities as a testing ground to find out what system is the best to be implemented. Paris is one of the cities considering the introduction of free public transport, mostly to reduce pollution in the city centre. If it turns out, it would be a good example for other cities to follow.
