Free public transport explained

Free public transport, often called fare-free public transit or zero-fare public transport, is public transport which is fully funded by means other than collecting fares from passengers. It may be funded by national, regional or local government through taxation, and/or by commercial sponsorship by businesses. Alternatively, the concept of "free-ness" may take other forms, such as no-fare access via a card which may or may not be paid for in its entirety by the user.

On 29 February 2020, Luxembourg became the first country in the world to make all public transport in the country (buses, trams, and trains) free to use.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} On 1 October 2022, Malta made its public transport free on most routes, though unlike in Luxembourg, this applies only to residents.^[5]

As some transit lines intended to operate with fares initially start service, the organisation may elect not to collect fares for an introductory period to create interest or to test operations.

Types

City-wide systems

Several mid-size European cities and many smaller towns around the world have converted their public transportation networks to zero-fare. The city of Hasselt in Belgium is a notable example: fares were abolished in 1997 and ridership was as much as "13 times higher" by 2006.^[6] Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia with more than 420,000 inhabitants, switched to free public transport in 2013 after a public vote.^[7]

In the U.S. state of Washington, 14 rural transit systems have adopted zero-fare policies, either permanently or through pilots in the 2020s. Fares for passengers aged 18 and younger have been free on most local and inter-city transit systems in the state since September 2022. The program was part of a larger statewide transportation package and also includes inter-city Amtrak trains operated by the state, as well as the Washington State Ferries system.^[8]

Local services

See also: List of free public transport routes. Local zero-fare shuttles or inner-city loops are far more common than citywide systems. They often use buses or trams. These may be set up by a city government to ease bottlenecks or fill short gaps in the transport network.

Zero-fare transport is often operated as part of the services offered within a public facility, such as a hospital or university campus shuttle or an airport inter-terminal shuttle.

Some zero-fare services may be built to avoid the need for large transport construction. Port cities where shipping would require very high bridges might provide zero-fare ferries instead. These are free at the point of use, just as the use of a bridge might have been.Machinery installed within a building or shopping centre can be seen as 'zero-fare transport': elevators, escalators and moving sidewalks are often provided by property owners and funded through the sales of goods and services. Community bicycle programs, providing free bicycles for short-term public use could be thought of as zero-fare transport.

A common example of zero-fare transport is student transport, where students travelling to or from school do not need to pay. The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point partly funds the Stevens Point Transit system. All students at the university can use any of the four citywide campus routes and the other four bus routes throughout the city free of charge. The university also funds two late night bus routes to serve the downtown free of charge with a goal of cutting down drunk driving. The University of Nottingham offers free Hopper Bus between its University Park and Jubilee, Sutton Bonington and Royal Derby Hospital campuses, where no other bus companies operate direct routes between. However, this service requires passengers to tap their university ID to board, meaning that members of the public cannot ride on these buses.

In some regions transport is free because the revenues are lower that expenses from fare collection is already partially paid by government or company or service (for example BMO railway road in Moscow, most part of is used to as service transport and officially pick up passengers).

Many large amusement parks will have trams servicing large parking lots or distant areas. Disneyland in Anaheim, California, runs a tram from its entrance, across the parking lot, and across the street to its hotel as well as the bus stop for Orange County and Los Angeles local transit buses. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, provides tram service throughout its parking lot.

In July 2017, Dubai announced it would offer free bus services for a short period of time on selected days.^[9]

In the northwestern United States, some tribal governments offer free bus service on their respective reservations, including on the Muckleshoot,^[10] Spokane,^[11] Umatilla^[12] and Yakama Indian Reservations.^[13]

Emergency relief

During natural disasters, pandemics, and other area-wide emergencies, some transit agencies offer zero-fare transport.

United States

Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit commuter rail temporarily offered free service for those needing transportation alternatives during the 2017 Tubbs Fire and 2019 Kincade Fire.^{[14] [15]}

Some agencies, including the Central Ohio Transit Authority and King County Metro, offer free public transport during snow emergencies to reduce the number of vehicles on the street.^{[16] [17]}

COVID-19 pandemic

See also: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transport. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several agencies paused the collection of fares to alleviate concerns that the virus could be transmitted on surfaces, to keep travelers from coming into close contact with employees, or to allow rear door boarding on their vehicles. These agencies are mostly located in smaller cities where the farebox recovery ratio is low as they could afford to implement this policy without a major hit to revenue.^[18] A study was conducted to detail the ways that fare collection during the pandemic varied geographically and demographically. During this time, 63.5% of the 263 public transit agencies studied had suspended fare collection. Geographically, the alleviation of fares was common around urban centers like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York City, etc and less obvious in northwestern states.^[19]

Benefits

Operational benefits

Transport operators can benefit from faster boarding and shorter dwell times, allowing faster timetabling of services. Although some of these benefits can be achieved in other ways, such as off-vehicle ticket sales and modern types of electronic fare collection, zero-fare transport avoids equipment and personnel costs.

Passenger aggression may be reduced. In 2008 bus drivers of Société des Transports Automobiles (STA) in Essonne held strikes demanding zero-fare transport for this reason. They claim that 90% of the aggression is related to refusal to pay the fare.^[20]

Commercial benefits

Some zero-fare transport services are funded by private businesses, such as the merchants in a shopping mall, in the hope that doing so will increase sales or other revenue from increased foot traffic or ease of travel. Employers often operate free shuttles as a benefit to their employees, or as part of a congestion mitigation agreement with a local government.

Community benefits

Zero-fare transport can make the system more accessible and fair for low-income residents. Other benefits are the same as those attributed to public transport generally:

• Road traffic can benefit from decreased congestion and faster average road speeds, fewer traffic accidents, easier parking, savings from reduced wear and tear on roads
• Increased public access, especially for the poor and low waged, which can in turn benefit social integration, businesses and those looking for work
• Environmental and public health benefits including decreased air pollution and noise pollution from road traffic

Global benefits

Global benefits of zero-fare transport are also the same as those attributed to public transport generally. If use of personal cars is discouraged, zero-fare public transport could mitigate the problems of global warming and oil depletion. On average, cars emit one pound of CO2 per mile driven.^[21] Public transport helps to reduce the number of vehicles being driven which results in decreasing carbon emissions. Cars are also responsible for emitting other pollutants such as antifreeze.^[21]

Drawbacks

Several large U.S. municipalities have attempted zero-fare systems, but many of these implementations have been judged unsuccessful by policy makers. A 2002 National Center for Transportation Research report suggests that, while transit ridership does tend to increase, there are also some disadvantages:

• An increase in vandalism, resulting in increased costs for security and vehicle-maintenance
• In large transit systems, significant revenue shortfalls unless additional funding was provided
• An increase in driver complaints and staff turnover, although farebox-related arguments were eliminated
• Slower service overall (not collecting fares has the effect of speeding boarding, but increased crowding tends to swamp out this effect unless additional vehicles are added)
• Declines in schedule adherence

This U.S. report suggests that, while ridership does increase overall, the goal of enticing drivers to take transit instead of driving is not necessarily met: because fare-free systems tend to attract a certain number of "problem riders", zero-fare systems may have the unintended effect of convincing some 'premium' riders to go back to driving their cars. It should be kept in mind that this was a study that only looked at U.S. cities, and the author's conclusions may be less applicable in other countries that have better social safety nets and less crime than the large U.S. cities studied.^[22]

Countries with area-wide zero-fare transport

• Luxembourg was the first country to offer free public transport (trams, trains, and buses) for everyone across the entire country. Since 29 February 2020, all public transport has been free in the country, with the exception of the first class on trains.^{[23] [24]}
• Estonia wants to become entirely zero-fare. Counties in Estonia are allowed to make public transport free. Between 2018 and 2024, buses were free of charge in 11 of Estonia's 15 counties. Public transport in Estonia's capital, Tallinn, has been free to local residents since 2013.^{[25] [26]} As of January 2024, free local transport in the counties was largely abolished, but remains available for people up to 19 years of age and those aged 63 and over.^[27]
• Malta became fare free for all residents on 1 October 2022.^[28]
• There are UK-wide provisions for free bus travel for senior citizens (60-years-old and over in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Greater London, state pension age for England).^{[29] [30] [31]} The Scottish government has also implemented free bus travel across the country for people under 22-years-old since 31 January 2022, while the Scottish National Blind Person Scheme allows free rail and ferry travel for blind persons.^{[32] [33]} The senior citizens bus pass also apply to rail and rapid transit (the Tube) in Greater London, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
• Romania has made public transportation including busses, subways and inter-country trains free for all pre-university students. However university students only have the option for a 50% discount on individual inter-country train tickets or inter-city subscriptions.^[34]
• In the Netherlands, students with Dutch citizenship get free public transportation country-wide in trains, trams, buses and metro. Students who are studying at universities of applied sciences and universities need to finish their degree ten years after starting it or they will need to pay back the amount of money.^{[35] [36]}
• Throughout Spain, from 1 September to 31 December 2022, all multi-trip ticket train journeys on commuter services and medium-distance routes (less than 300km (200miles)) were made free of charge.^[37]
• Since March 2024, the Hungarian national railway company MÁV does not charge those of ages 65 and over and 14 and under for transportation.^[38] Buses of the company Volánbusz can also be used free of charge from people of these same age ranges.^[39]

List of towns and cities with area-wide zero-fare transport

Europe

Town/City	data-sort-type=number	Population	Operator	First year	Duration	Notes
Cascais	206 479	Mobi Cascais	2020	Since 2020-01-02	Free public bus transportation for residents, students and workers registered in the Municipality of Cascais. Cascais was the first in Portugal to implement the measure and is the fourth-largest city of the country.
Cahors	20 447	Raynal Voyages	2019	Since 2019-11-02	^[40]
Netherlands		Government	1991	Since 1991	Free public transport for students Studentenreisproduct or OV-studentenkaart in the whole Netherlands. Students can choose for free transport on weekdays and 40% discount in the weekends, or vice versa.
Voronezh, Voronezh Oblast	1 032 382	Municipality	2003	2003–2013	Free buses run every 30 min. (designated by the letter Н)^[41]
Skolkovo, Moscow	N/A	ODAS Skolkovo + Mosgortrans	2012	Since opening	Local buses are free, include to railway station (from 2019, weekdays, delayed), longer routes are charged unless they ride via Auchan or Vegas
Miass, Chelyabinsk Oblast	151 387	Municipality	1991	Until 2002^[42]	Free trolleybuses and buses
Gibraltar	29 500	State	2011	Since 2011-05	Only for residents and workers. Tourists have to pay.
Manises	30 478				^[43]
Marbella	150 000	Municipality	2019	Since 2019	Only for enrolled citizens.^[44]
Nova Gorica	31 000		2006	Since 2006-04
Samokov	27 000		2006	Since 2006
Stamboliyski	12 000	Municipality	2019	Since 2019
Stavanger	146 011	Municipality	2023	Since 2023
Hasselt	72 000	De Lijn	1997	Since 1997-07-01	1300% ridership increase 1996–2006. In 2013, Hasselt stopped free bus service for adults; riders under 19 still travel for free.
Duffel	17 385	De Lijn			Only valid for one ride
Ingelmunster	10 928	De Lijn	2017	Since 2017	Free public transport was offered when the construction of a new bridge made the connection between the two sides of the town impossible.
Mons	92 000	TEC Hainaut	1999	Since 1999-07-01
Avesta Municipality	21 000	Dalatrafik	2012^[45]	Until 2021.	Ended due to increased operating costs.
Kiruna	18 090		2011	From 2011 to 2012–12	^[46]
Övertorneå	2 000				70 km of free rides on local buses in this rural municipality
Bełchatów	56 973	Miejski Zakład Komunikacji Sp. z o.o.	2015	Since 2015-05-28	Unconditionally free for all users.
Żory	62 625		2014	Since 2014-05-01	Unconditionally free for all users.
Lubin	72 951		2014	Since 2014-09-01	Unconditionally free for all users.
Olkusz	36 122		2013	Between 2013-09-01 and 2014-12-31	For car owners registered in this municipality only.
Ostrołęka	52 337		2017	Since 2017-10-28	Unconditionally free for all users.
Lugoj	37 700		2013	Starting 2013-07-01	^[47]
Cluj-Napoca	411 379		2021	Starting 2021-06-18	Free transportation on tram and bus lines every Friday^[48]
Ploiești	201 226	TCE S.A.	2014	Starting 31 March 2014	The benefits are limited to city residents with an income under 3,000 RON per month (about €670).^[49]
Arad	145 078	CTP Arad S.A.	2023	Starting 7 July 2023	Free transportation on tram and bus lines every Friday.^[50]
Ilioupoli	78 153	Municipality			Free transportation to all, but only local buses, for specifically only local municipality buses.^[51]
Akureyri, Iceland	18 803		2007	Since 2007-01-01	^[52]
	435 245		2013	Since 2013-01-01	Tallinn is currently the largest city offering free public transport for its residents. Regional buses are excluded from the scheme. Elron commuter trains are also free inside the city limits.^[53] Tallinn is also the first capital with free public transport for its residents.
Keila	9 873		2013	Since 2013-02
Türi	6 174				^[54]
	14 500			Has been stopped	Influenced by Hasselt
	122 258	VLK	2021	Since November 2021	Free busses since November 2021 within Kelheim County
	16 500			Has been stopped
	295 135	SWA	2020	Since 2020-01-01	Free public transport within a zone downtown called "City-Zone"
Erlangen	116 562	ESTW	2024	Since 2024-01-01	Free use of all buses in the inner city for everybody
Monheim am Rhein and Langenfeld (Rheinland)	46 072 + 60 926				Free use of all buses and the lightrail lines S6 and S68 in the city areas of Monheim am Rhein, Langenfeld (Rheinland) and Düsseldorf-Hellerhof, for residents of Monheim am Rhein only
	19 900	MAD Senec	2013	Since 2013-11-01	Since 1 April 2018 city transport has two bus lines. Temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic until 1 September.^[55]
	42 900 (100 000 in the area concerned)		2009	Since 2009-05-15	The Aubagne tramway is considered to be the first completely fare-free tram system in the world.^[56]
	15 700		2008	Since 2008-09-01
	110 000		1992	Since 1992
	62 500		2008	Since 2008–10
	47 127		2001	Since 2001
	28 538		1971	Since 1971	The first area of France to offer zero-fare public transport which is still in operation at present
	40 028		1990s	Since the 1990s	^[57]
Dunkirk	91 000	Municipality	2015: free weekend service, fall 2018: full service^[58] ^[59]
	9 900		2003	Since 2003–2009
	13 500		1989	since 1989	Has free in the name of the service (Transport Issoudun Gratuit). Works on certain days of the week in the afternoons only.
	23 000		2009	Since 2009-01-01 for under 18s Since 2010-08-28 for everyone
	22 200		2010	since 2010-01-01
	15 313		2001	Since spring 2001	First French urban agglomeration to do so.
	315 000	Amt, Metropolitana di Catania, Università degli Studi di Catania	2018	Since 2018-04-10^[60]	Free metro and bus lines to all local university students
	8 700	ČSAD Jindřichův Hradec a. s.	2002	Between 2002–2002 and 2007–2008	Under Mayor Jiří Houdek (KDU-ČSL), city transport has only one bus line (No 340300), influenced by US school buses
	1 285 000	Many operators (first of all Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy)	2002	Between 2002 and 2008-2015 (ca) and 2002-08-25, during the Vltava flood and flooding of the Prague metro system	Also always during time of the smog or other emergency (used rarely – 1996–1997 for 2 day, 1992–1993 for 4 days).^[61] ^[62]
	6 800	Probo Trans Beroun s. r. o.	2008	Since 2008-03	City transport has only one bus line (no. 210009 alias C09 or C9)
	27 300	ČSAD Vsetín a. s.	2009	Between 2009-06-14 and 2009-07-14, again since 2017-09^[63] ^[64]	City transport has five bus lines
	9 000	Veolia Transport Východní Čechy a. s.	2009	Between 2009-12-01 and 2010-03-06	Initial price at the newly established first city bus line (no. 665101)
	58 200	ČSAD Frýdek-Místek a. s.	2011	Since 2011-03-27	Only 365-day chip coupon (however the chip card costs 299 Kč and prolongation 1 Kč) and user must to not be a debtor toward the city. Number of passengers has increased from 3.8 million in 2010 to 5.7 million in 2013. Since 2014, it is possible to travel free on regional bus lines to next 18 villages and towns. Population in the serviced area is 100,000. Chip card for free public transport has 25,000 passengers.
	22 900	ČSAD STTRANS a. s.	2018	Since 2018-01-01	In 2017, the city bus transport was free for senior citizens, children and students up to 26 years; since 2018, buses are free for all, but only in the city zone (sections outside the city are still paid).^[65] ^[66]
	8 700	BusLine a. s., renamed to TD BUS a.s.	2018	Since 2018-01-28^[67]	The only bus line no. 558001 started 10 years ago, 2008-01-28
	24 000	BusLine a. s., renamed to TD BUS a.s.	2018	Since 2018-05-01^[68]	Two bus lines
	12 400	ČSAD Benešov a. s. (ICOM group)	2018	Since 2018-09-03^[69]	3 intervallic lines (yellow, red and blue) and 3 school lines (Š1, Š2, Š3), licence numbers 289001–289006, in working days only. Previous lines of Prague Integrated Transport remain paid.
	33 289	Okresní autobusová doprava Kolín, s.r.o.	2023	Since 2023-01-01^[70]
	20 000	Tórshavn City Council			Six different bus lines^[71]
	76 712	Jagodina City Council	2019	Since Opening	Free public transport is not only available in Jagodina also in 52 villages and settlements around Jagodina that are connected with the city.^[72]
Kryvyi Rih	603 904	Municipality	2022		Including trams, metrotram, and trolleybus^[73]
Kharkiv	1 421 125	Municipality	2022		Including trams, metro, and trolleybus^[74]

Asia

Town/City	Population	Operator	Begin operation	Duration	Notes
Cheremushki, Khakassia, Russia	9,000	trams are serviced by Dam's staff			zero fare is official to anybody (de jure service line because the taxes would be higher than revenues)
Jakarta, Indonesia	10,770,487	TransJakarta			Nine free bus routes including city tour buses
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1,790,000	SKS Bus			Go KL City Bus
New Delhi, India	20,000,000 (concerned for 9,000,000 women)	State Government	2019		free bus services for women
Tel Aviv District, Israel	1,350,000	Na'im Busofash	November 22, 2019		Free weekend public transportation array that exists in 6 authorities in Gush Dan – Givatayim, Kiryat Ono, Ramat HaSharon, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Yehud-Monosson and Shoham.
Tiberias, Israel	41,300	Tiberias city council	2019		one bus line that goes on Saturdays
Hwaseong, Korea	934,441	Hwaseong city	2020		Fare-free bus service for the children, youth, and elderly
Bangkok, Thailand	8,249,000	several			In some bus lines in older unair-conditioned bus (far prices are also about age/equipment of bus). Also time and again for new public metro tracks for several months.
Ovacık, Turkey	6,998	Ovacık municipality	2014		All municipality-operated buses are free^[75]
Tunceli, Turkey	38,429	Tunceli municipality	2019		Free in three neighbourhoods that doesn't have privately operated public bus
Tamil Nadu, India	72,147,030 (concerned for 36,009,055 women)	State Government	2021		free metro and bus services for women^[76]

Americas

Brazil

Town/City	Population	Operator	First year	Duration	Notes
Agudos, SP	36,700	local government	2011	since 2011	^[77] ^[78] ^[79]
Ivaiporã, PR	31,812	local government	2011	since 2011
Porto Real, RJ	16,574	local government	2011	since 2011
Potirendaba, SP	15,449	local government	1998	since 1998	^[80]
Paulínia, SP	86,800	local government	2013	since 2013	^[81]
Maricá, RJ	146,549	Empresa Pública de Transportes – EPT	2014	since 2014	^[82]
Muzambinho, MG	21,975	local government	2011	since 2011	^[83]
Pitanga, PR	32,645	local government	2012	since 2012	^[84]
Silva Jardim, RJ	21,307	local government	2014	since 2014-02-15	^[85]
Vargem Grande Paulista, SP	48,720		2019	since 2019	^[86]

Canada

Town/City	Population	Operator	First Year	Duration	Notes
Mont Tremblant, Quebec	10,000	Mont-Tremblant Public Transit	2019		^[87]
La Prairie, Quebec	23,000		2014
Saint-Philippe, Quebec	5,500		2014
Candiac, Quebec	21,000		2014
Sainte-Julie, Quebec	30,000		2014
Cold Lake, Alberta	15,000	Cold Lake Transit			^[88]
St. Albert, Alberta	70,000	St. Albert Transit			^[89]
Canmore, Alberta	13,000	ROAM	2019		^[90]

United States

See also: Free public transport in Massachusetts.

Town/City	data-sort-type="Number"	Population	Operator	data-sort-type="Number"	First year	Duration	Notes
Albuquerque, New Mexico	564,559	ABQ RIDE	2022		^[91]
Alexandria, Virginia	159,467	DASH (bus)	2021		^[92]
Athens, Georgia	126,913	Athens Transit	2021		^[93]
Avon, Colorado	6,115	Avon/Beaver Creek Transit	2021		^[94]
Boone, North Carolina	17,122	AppalCart^[95]	1981	since 1981	combination of funding from the town, Appalachian State University, Watauga County, and state and federal agencies.
Boston, Massachusetts	675,647	several MBTA key bus routes (23, 28, and 29)	2021	2021 until 2024	See main article: Free public transport in Boston.
Breckenridge, Colorado	4,901	Free Ride Transit System	1997
Cache Valley, Utah		Cache Valley Transit District	2000	since 2000
Canby, Oregon	15,829	Canby Area Transit
Chadron, Nebraska	5,488	City of Chadron
Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina	70,000+	Chapel Hill Transit	2002	since 2002	operated by the Town of Chapel Hill to serve Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and UNC-Chapel Hill; supported by taxpayers and University fee-payers
Clallam County, Washington	77,805	Clallam Transit	2024	one-year pilot	Does not apply to long-distance routes and Hurricane Ridge shuttle^[96]
Clemson, South Carolina	11,939	Clemson Area Transit			partnership between Clemson University and surrounding communities
Commerce, California	41,000	City of Commerce Municipal Bus Lines	1962	since 1962	all transportation services are free of charge^[97]
Coral Gables, Florida	42,871
	54,462		2011	since February 2011	^[98]
Dayton, Ohio	137,644	Flyer Shuttle Bus operated by the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority	2018	since 2018	Shuttle connects downtown Dayton and University of Dayton
Detroit, Michigan	639,000	Q Line operated by the Detroit Transport Authority	2017	since 2017	Connecting northern suburbs to central Detroit
Ellensburg, Washington	20,326	Central Transit
Emeryville, California	9,727	Emery Go Round
Fairfax, Virginia	24,276	CUE Bus	2020	Until June 30, 2026	^[99] CUE stopped collecting fares in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has since continued operating zero-fare. Funded in part by the Fairfax, Virginia and a grant from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
Fort Collins, Colorado	169,810	Transfort	2020		Transfort stopped collecting fares in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has since continued operating zero-fare. As of January 2023, the city is considering keeping Transfort fare-free permanently.^[100]
Island County, Washington	81,054	Island Transit	1987	since 1987	Fares charged on route 412C (intra-county service to Everett, Washington from Camano Island)
Hawaii County, Hawaii	206,315	Hele-On Bus	2021	through 2025	^[101]
Jefferson County, Washington		Jefferson Transit	2024	since January 2024^[102]
Kansas City, Missouri	301,500	RideKC buses and KC Streetcar	2019	2019-2023	The first large U.S. city to implement a universal, systemwide fare-free scheme after a unanimous City Council vote to make RideKC buses Zero Fare through 2023. The bus system previously cost travelers $1.50 per ride or $50 for a monthly pass, while the KC Streetcar has been fare free since it began service in 2016.^[103]
Ketchum/Sun Valley, Idaho	3,003	Mountain Rides
Kootenai County, Idaho		Citylink			^[104] ^[105]
Lebanon, New Hampshire	13,151	Advance Transit			combination of state and federal funding and from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Dartmouth College. Also serves Hanover and White River Junction, Vermont
Logan, Utah	49,534	Cache Valley Transit District	1992	since 1992
	20,000	Go West Transit	2006	since 2006
Mammoth Lakes, California	8,234	Eastern Sierra Transit Authority
	29,948	Marion Area Transit System	2008	since 2008
Mason County, Washington	61,019	Mason Transit Authority	1992		Fares charged on intra-county routes
Missoula, Montana	69,122	Missoula Urban Transportation District
Moscow, Idaho	25,146	SMART Transit
Mountain View, California	81,500	Google and City of Mountain View			Mountain View Community Shuttle, electric bus service 10AM to 6PM daily
Muckleshoot Indian Reservation, Washington		Muckleshoot Indian Tribe			^[106]
Olympia/Thurston County, Washington	252,264	Intercity Transit	2020	2020–2027		5-year pilot, later extended to 2027
Park City, Utah	8,300	Park City Transit, High Valley Transit				Also serves Snyderville Basin
Provo, Utah/Orem, Utah	215,175	Utah Transit Authority	2018	since 2018	Utah Valley Express (UVx) Bus-Rapid Transit Line only. UVX fare has been covered by a Federal Highway Administration Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement grant through 2021.^[107]
Rome, Georgia	37,746	Rome Transit Department (RTD)	2021	until 29 December 2023 (planned)	Beginning on 4 October 2021, the City of Rome Transit Department began offering free Fixed-Route Transit Service in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fare adjustment is currently set to expire on 29 December 2023.
Sandy, Oregon	9,570	Sandy Area Metro	2000	since 2000
Spokane Indian Reservation, Washington		Spokane Tribe of Indians			^[108]
Stanford, California	13,809	Stanford Marguerite Shuttle
Starkville, Mississippi	23,888	Starkville-MSU Area Rapid Transit
Tacoma, Washington	216,279		2003	2023	Eliminated after extension
Tampa, Florida	380,000		2018		Service with fares started in 2002, free since 2018.
Tucson, Arizona	1,043,433		2020		Fare free for the entire Tucson Metropolitan Area since Spring 2020. Originally a pandemic-era temporary measure, it is now permanent.^[109] ^[110]
Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon		Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation			^[111]
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan	120,000	MBus
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota	51,853	U of M Transitway	1992	since 1992
Vail, Colorado	4,589				over 20 hours of service every day during winter
Vero Beach, Florida	15,220	GoLine			free 14-route public transit system serves 700,000 annual riders
Walla Walla, Washington	50,600	Valley Transit	1981		Until 2026^[112]
Westchester County	1,004,457^[113]	Bee-Line Bus System	2022		June 1 through September 5 (Labor Day)^[114]
Wilmington, Vermont	2,225	Deerfield Valley Transit Association	1996	since 1996	free 13-route public transit system operated by Southeast Vermont Transit serving 200,000 riders annually and providing commuter bus service between Bennington and Brattleboro. Operates as "the MOOver".
Wilsonville, Oregon	19,509	South Metro Area Regional Transit
Yakama Indian Reservation, Washington		Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation			^[115]

Perception and analysis

Fare-free transit has been repeatedly demonstrated to increase ridership—especially during non-peak travel periods—and customer satisfaction.^[116] Several analyses^{[117] [118] [119]} have shown ridership increased by as much as 15% overall and about 45% during the off-peak periods. The effects on public transport operators included schedule adherence problems because of the increased ridership and more complaints about rowdiness from younger passengers, though obviously there were no more direct conflicts with passengers regarding fare collection. When the University of California, Los Angeles covered fares for the university community, ridership increased by 56% in the first year and solo driving fell by 20% (though one older study showed no measurable impact on automobile use).

In the United States, mass transit systems that collect fares are only expected to generate about 10% of the annual revenue themselves, with the remainder covered by either public or private investment and advertisements.^[103] Therefore, politicians and social-justice advocacy groups, such as the Swedish network Planka.nu, see zero-fare public transport as a low-cost, high-impact approach to reducing economic inequality.^[120] It has also been argued that transportation to and from work is essential to the employer in the managing of work hours, so financing of public transportation should fall to employers rather than private individuals or public funds.^[121]

See also

• Car-free movement
• Effects of the car on societies
• Movimento Passe Livre, Brazilian movement campaigning for free public transport
• Planka.nu Swedish membership network which pays the penalty fare if you get caught without paying ticket
• Reduced fare programs
• Transport divide
• Universal basic services
• Universal transit pass
• Urban vitality
• 9-Euro-Ticket (in Germany in June, July and August 2022)

External links

• freepublictransports.com Network of groups promoting free public transport
• freepublictransit.org Advocacy website
• Argument against free public transport
• Luxembourg to trial free public transport to tackle congestion. Sky News report on YouTube. Published/uploaded on 23 December 2019.

Notes and References

1. News: 29 February 2020 . Luxembourg makes public transport free . Deutsche Welle (DW) . 10 April 2020.
2. News: Kirby . Paul . 29 February 2020 . Free transport in Luxembourg, but what's the cost? . BBC News . 10 April 2020.
3. News: Abnett . Kate . 29 February 2020 . Luxembourg becomes first country to make public transport free . Reuters . Luxembourg . 10 April 2020.
4. News: Calder . Simon . 29 February 2020 . 'Like the first step on the moon': Luxembourg makes history as first country with free public transport . The Independent . 10 April 2020.
5. Web site: Malta makes most public transport free . 2022-10-06 . cities-today.com.
6. http://www.hasselt.be/content/content/record.php?ID=4418 '10 jaar gratis openbaar vervoer'
7. News: Shearlaw . Maeve . The Tallinn experiment: what happens when a city makes public transport free? . 15 March 2024 . The Guardian . 11 October 2016.
8. News: Kroman . David . September 1, 2022 . Free transit starts today for most youths across WA . The Seattle Times . November 17, 2023.
9. Web site: Dubai RTA launches free bus service to cover partial metro closure. Staff Report.
10. Web site: About .
11. Web site: TRANSIT SERVICES – Spokane Tribe of Indians .
12. Web site: CTUIR Public Transit | Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation . 2010 .
13. Web site: Yakama Indian Nation | NPAIHB . 9 February 2016 .
14. News: Houston . Will . SMART offers free rides as full service returns . 31 October 2019 . Marin Independent Journal . 30 October 2019.
15. News: Smart Train Service Running On Limited Schedule Wednesday Through Nov. 6. . Bay City News Service . SFGate . 29 October 2019 . 30 October 2019.
16. Web site: COTA suspends fares amid Level 2 Snow Emergency in Franklin County. 2021-04-14. 10tv.com. 16 February 2021. en-US.
17. Web site: Gutman. David. 2019-04-28. You can ride King County Metro buses for free during the next snow emergency. . 2021-04-13.
18. News: 2020-03-19. Is Free Transit Safer? As Ridership Drops, Some Agencies Cut Fares.. en. Bloomberg.com. 2021-04-14.
19. Goldberg, Dori. "The New Geography of Fare-Free Public Transport: Examining the Suspension of Fares in the United States During COVID-19." Brussels: Master in Urban Studies (ULB/VUB) (2021).
20. http://www.volkskrant.nl/economie/article546941.ece/Franse_chauffeurs_voor_gratis_buskaartje Volkskrant.nl – Franse chauffeurs voor gratis buskaartje
21. Web site: 2021-10-07 . 5 Environmental Benefits of Sustainable Transportation . 2024-02-27 . Transportation . en.
22. Perone . Jennifer S. . Advantages and Disadvantages of Fare-Free Transit Policy . NCTR Report Number: NCTR-473-133, BC137-38 . October 2002 . 10.1.1.504.198 .
23. Web site: Getting Around in Luxembourg City . 2022-06-01 . www.luxembourg-city.com . en.
24. Web site: 2018-12-05 . Luxembourg to become first country in world to make public transport free . 2022-06-01 . The Independent . en.
25. News: Free public transport in Estonia . The Economist . 2022-06-01 . 0013-0613.
26. Web site: Estonia to Become the World's First Free Public Transport Nation . 2022-06-01 . Pop-Up City . 16 May 2018 . en.
27. Web site: 2023-09-26. Karin Koppel. 2023-09-26. en. ERR. Ratas: Abolishing free public transport a huge mistake.
28. News: 11 October 2020 . Live blog: Budget 2022 as it happens . Times of Malta . 11 October 2020.
29. Web site: Over-60s to keep free bus pass privileges in Scotland . 2 August 2018 . The Scotsman . 16 July 2023.
30. Web site: Apply for an older person's bus pass . 2023-10-28 . GOV.UK . en.
31. Web site: 2015-10-30 . Free and concessionary bus and rail travel nidirect . 2023-10-28 . www.nidirect.gov.uk . en.
32. News: Diamond . Claire . 31 January 2022 . Free bus travel for under-22s in Scotland begins . BBC News . 29 September 2022.
33. Web site: Information on other concessionary travel and discounted schemes. .
34. Web site: Elevii din România vor avea transport gratuit. Students from Romania will have free transport. www.edu.ro . Ministerul Educației Naționale . 22 December 2022 . Romania . ro . 2020-05-29 .
35. Web site: Student Travel Product (Student OV) NS . 2023-08-08 . Dutch Railways . en.
36. Web site: Studentenreisproduct . 23 August 2023 . Dienst uitvoering onderwij . nl.
37. News: Gadhavi . Jasmine . 15 July 2022 . Spain announces free rail journeys from September until the end of the year . The Guardian . 27 September 2023.
38. Web site: Key changes in Hungarian public transport summarised in 10 points - Daily News Hungary . 10 January 2024 .
39. Web site: 2024-04-17 . en . VOLÁNBUSZ . Domestic fares - Travel information .
40. https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/occitanie/lot/cahors/lot-bus-cahors-deviennent-gratuits-1745123.html Lot : les bus de Cahors deviennent gratuits
41. Web site: Народные маршруты автобусов (бесплатный проезд) – Транспорт города Воронежа. Маршруты, Расписания. Авто, Метро, Трамвай, Троллейбус, Автобусы, Поезда, Авиатранспорт, Водный транспорт, Такси, Пробки, Форумы. Объявления. Предприятия . Popular bus routes (free travel) - Transport of the city of Voronezh. Routes, Schedules. Auto, Metro, Tram, Trolleybus, Buses, Trains, Air transport, Water transport, Taxi, Traffic jams, Forums. Ads. Enterprises . www.transport.mirvoronezha.ru.
42. Web site: Миасс . Miass . transphoto.ru . ru . 2017-01-20.
43. http://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/prensa/20070130/horta/manises-amplia-servicio-autobus_20070130.html (Manises) municipal website
44. Web site: Tarjeta de Movilidad para uso gratuito del servicio de autobús urbano . 7 February 2019 .
45. https://web.archive.org/web/20170217082126/https://farefreepublictransport.com/city/avesta/ Avesta, Sweden
46. http://www.kommun.kiruna.se/Trafik-gator-och-parker/Busstider/Avgiftsfritt-bussresande/ Kiruna municipality website
47. http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-administratie_locala-14998615-premiera-romania-municipiul-lugoj-avea-transport-comun-gratuit.htm HotNews.ro – Premiera in Romania: Municipiul Lugoj va avea transport in comun gratuit
48. Web site: Vinerea Verde: Transport public gratuit în fiecare zi de vineri • Cluj-Napoca .
49. Web site: Transport public GRATUIT pentru ploieşteni, până în 2015 . FREE public transport for Ploiesti residents, until 2015. 2014-03-12.
50. Web site: VINEREA VERDE: de luna aceasta, transportul public în municipiu este gratuit, în fiecare vineri . GREEN FRIDAY: effective this month, municipal public transport is free every friday. 2023-07-03.
51. Web site: ilioupoli.gr municipality-transportation . 2014-08-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140719000209/http://www.ilioupoli.gr/e-services/municipality-transportation.aspx . 2014-07-19 . dead .
52. Web site: City bus – Free of charge. www.visitakureyri.is. 11 December 2014. 4 June 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170604220622/http://www.visitakureyri.is/en/transport/city-bus-free-of-charge. dead.
53. Web site: Tallinlase tasuta sõit Elron rongides . Free Tallinn ride on Elron trains. Tallinn City Government. 3 July 2016. et.
54. Web site: Türi linna tasuta bussiliin . Free bus line to Türi . 3 July 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160816144151/http://www.tyri.ee/turi-linna-tasuta-bussiliin. 16 August 2016. dead.
55. Web site: Cestovný poriadok MHD Senec platný od 15.12.2019 – Informačný portál mesta Senec . Public transport timetable Senec valid from 15.12.2019 - Information portal of Senec . Lomtec.com. a.s.. www.senec.sk.
56. Web site: Aubagne aura le premier tramway au monde entièrement gratuit! . Aubagne will have the world's first tram completely free!. 6 July 2011.
57. http://www.mairie-compiegne.fr/vivre/transportsencommun.asp municipal website, mairie-compiegne
58. News: Bliss . Laura . The French City That Shocked Citizens By Making Transit Free . Bloomberg.com . 20 December 2017 . 20 August 2018.
59. Web site: Boyer King . Emilie . Want a free ride? French cities opt for free public transport – France 24 . France 24 . 20 August 2018 . 9 November 2017.
60. Web site: Tartaglia . Andrea . Metro e bus gratis per gli studenti dell'Università di Catania . Free metro and bus for students of the University of Catania . Mobilita Catania. 2018-10-05 .
61. http://envis.praha-mesto.cz/rocenky/Pr_01/B1_04.htm Smogový regulační systém
62. http://www.ropid.cz/tarif/tarif-pid,-vc.-1.,-2.,-3.,-4.-a-5.-dodatku__s189x350.html Tarif PID
63. Viktor Chrást: Valašské Meziříčí chystá MHD zdarma, zaplatí ji pokuty za rychlou jízdu (tr. Valašské Meziříčí is preparing free public transport, it will pay fines for fast driving), iDnes.cz, 2017-04-19
64. http://www.valasskemezirici.cz/vismo/dokumenty2.asp?id_org=17636&id=30917 Ve Valašském Meziříčí bude městská hromadná doprava zdarma a pro všechny
65. Alena Šrámková: MHD zadarmo! Od nového roku (tr. Free public transport! Since the new year), Strakonický deník, 2017-11-19
66. Radek Štěpánek: Strakonice mají MHD zdarma pro všechny. Je to populismus, říká opozice (tr.Strakonice has free public transport for everyone. It's populism, the opposition says), iDnes.cz, 12. 1. 2018
67. Pavel Křivohlavý: Lovosice zavedly MHD zdarma, chtějí tím snížit počet aut ve městě (tr. Lovosice has introduced free public transport, so they want to reduce the number of cars in the city), iDnes.cz, 2018-01-29
68. https://usti.idnes.cz/zastupitele-lovosice-mhd-zdarma-od-kvetna-fil-/usti-zpravy.aspx?c=A180302_386632_usti-zpravy_vac2 Litoměřice budou mít MHD zdarma, stejně jako sousední Lovosice
69. http://www.zastavka.net/za-nepid_dopravce/csad_benesov_nepid.phtml Změny linek ČSAD Benešov, a.s.
70. https://www.seznamzpravy.cz/clanek/regiony-zpravy-stredocesky-kraj-lide-v-koline-budou-pristi-rok-jezdit-mestskou-dopravou-zdarma-221271 Lidé v Kolíně budou příští rok jezdit městskou dopravou zdarma
71. Web site: Tórshavn City Bus Routes – Tórshavnar kommuna.
72. Web site: Jagodina free public transport. 3 May 2021.
73. Web site: В Кривом Роге проезд в коммунальном транспорте сделал бесплатным для всех . 2023-01-25 . Gorod.dp.ua.
74. Web site: Выделено более миллиарда: украинцы смогут бесплатно ездить общественным транспортом . 2023-11-23 . gsminfo.com.ua. 23 November 2023 .
75. Web site: Maçoğlu'ndan 'ücretsiz ulaşım' açıklaması: Kâr-zarar hesabı yapılmaz, halkın parası bu . . 2 July 2022 . tr . 6 April 2022.
76. Web site: Tamil Nadu launches free bus travel for women's empowerment. 18 June 2021 . 26 January 2024. dmy-all.
77. Web site: Transporte público grátis já existe em cidades brasileiras . 17 June 2013 . Free public transport already exists in Brazilian cities . Envolverde . 2013-06-22.
78. Web site: Transporte gratuito é realidade em cidades brasileiras . Free transportation is a reality in Brazilian cities . A Tarde . 2013-06-22.
79. Web site: Tarifa zero é possível: conheça cidades que têm transporte público gratuito . Zero rate is possible: meet cities that have free public transport . Brasil Metrópole . 2013-06-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130623040652/http://www.brasilmetropole.com.br/entretenimento2/noticias-mundiais/5864-tarifa-zero-e-possivel-conheca-cidades-que-tem-transporte-publico-gratuito . 2013-06-23 . dead .
80. Web site: Prefeitura de Potirendaba garante circular gratuita para população . Potirendaba Prefecture guarantees free circulation for the population . Prefeitura de Potirendaba . 2013-10-25 . 29 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029204533/http://www.potirendaba.sp.gov.br/noticia.asp?id=77 . dead .
81. Web site: Moura Júnior anuncia tarifa zero no transporte público de Paulínia, SP . Moura Júnior announces zero fare on public transport in Paulínia, SP . G1 . 2013-10-25. 2013-07-17 .
82. Web site: Fim do monopólio: transporte público é gratuito em Maricá . End of the monopoly: public transport is free in Maricá . Prefeitura de Maricá . 2016-02-13.
83. Web site: Tarifa zero: transporte público é de graça em Muzambinho, MG . Zero rate: public transport is free in Muzambinho, MG . G1 . 2013-10-25. 2013-06-24 .
84. Web site: "Tarifa zero" é realidade em alguns municípios pequenos do Brasil . "Zero tariff" is a reality in some small municipalities in Brazil . Gazeta do Povo . 2013-10-25.
85. Web site: Transporte de tarifa zero completa um ano e meio de existência . Transportation of zero fare complete one and a half year of existence . Prefeitura de Silva Jardim . 2016-02-13 . 16 February 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160216103222/http://www.silvajardim.rj.gov.br/site/index.php/transporte/597-transporte-de-tarifa-zero-completa-um-ano-e-meio-de-exist%C3%AAncia . dead .
86. MPP . Landin . Lucas . 2022 . Tarifa Zero: La financiación del transporte público gratuito en el Municipio de Vargem Grande Paulista, Brasil . University of Chile.
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88. Web site: Cold Lake Transit. Cold Lake Transit. 31 January 2022.
89. Web site: St. Albert Transit. St. Albert Transit. 13 September 2023.
90. Web site: Town of Canmore. Paid Parking and Fare Free Transit.
91. Web site: Zero Fares is Here to Stay . City of Albuquerque .
92. Web site: DASH to Launch New Bus Network, Go Fare-Free on Sept. 5 . Alexandria Transit Company . 2021-12-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210816175446/https://www.dashbus.com/NDNLaunch . 16 August 2021 . dead.
93. Web site: ACC Commissioners approve large, ambitious budget . 15 June 2021 . Athens Politics Nerd . 2021-06-15.
94. Web site: The Town of Avon is serviced by free bus service . Avon Mobility Department . 2021-06-15.
95. Web site: appalcart.com - Microsoft Word - AppalCART Overview110125.doc - overview02-01-11.pdf . 2012-08-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121216172824/http://appalcart.com/media/overview02-01-11.pdf . 2012-12-16 . dead .
96. News: Beekman . Daniel . November 13, 2023 . Clallam Transit will be latest of many WA systems to go fare-free . . November 17, 2023.
97. Web site: Transportation Services . City of Commerce, California (municipal web site) . 2012-01-11 . 18 August 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120818115303/http://www.ci.commerce.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=90 . dead .
98. Web site: Corvallis Transit System drops bus fares . . 1 February 2011 . 19 June 2013.
99. Web site: CUE Zero-Fare Pilot . www.fairfaxva.gov . City of Fairfax, VA . 22 November 2022 . en.
100. Web site: About RideTransfort . RideTransfort . City of Fort Collins, CO . 4 March 2023 . en.
101. Web site: Hele-On extends free fare program through 2025 . 29 March 2023 .
102. Web site: Fares & Passes . 18 November 2011 . . January 4, 2024.
103. Web site: Americans spend over 15% of their budgets on transportation costs—these US cities are trying to make it free . CNBC . 2 March 2020 . Online . 19 November 2021.
104. Web site: About .
105. Web site: Transportation | Visit Coeur d'Alene .
106. Web site: About .
107. Web site: UVX Service Starts August 13 . RideUTA . Online . 2 July 2019.
108. Web site: TRANSIT SERVICES – Spokane Tribe of Indians .
109. Web site: Tucson's public transit system is now officially free to ride . AZLuminaria . 10 May 2023 . Online . 10 January 2024.
110. Web site: All Transit Rides Are Free. Sun Tran . Online . 10 January 2024.
111. Web site: CTUIR Public Transit | Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation . 2010 .
112. News: Dinman . Emry . June 13, 2022 . Walla Walla's Valley Transit eliminates most fares for riders until 2026 . . July 28, 2023.
113. Web site: "QuickFacts Westchester County, New York". . www.census.gov . U.S. Census Bureau. . . 31 March 2018.
114. Web site: Ride Bee-Line for Free this Summer .
115. Web site: Yakama Indian Nation | NPAIHB . 9 February 2016 .
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121. http://planka.nu/vad-tycker-vi/kollektivtrafik-ska-vara-avgiftsfri Planka.nu: Kollektivtrafik ska vara avgiftsfri