By Sina Zhen, Sustainable Mobility Officer, ICLEI World Secretariat

ICLEI Korea and Hwaseong City, in partnership with the EU-Korea Climate Action Project, hosted the EU-Korea Urban Mobility Forum in Hwaseong on April 6, 2021. The theme of the forum was “Transition Towards Net Zero,” with presenters from Korea and the EU sharing innovative policies and programs for sustainable and low-carbon urban transport systems. One of the key topics of multiple speakers’ presentations was the recurring theme of implementing free public transport in cities and why it is essential as a mean of social equity and improving the quality of life for city residents. The forum focused on innovation in public transport and free public transport and how these improve urban life.

Public transport is not a service people should pay for as it is a public good

One of the most important questions raised during the Forum was a question framed by Konrad Otto-Zimmermann, Creative Director of the Urban Idea, where he asked, “Why should we have free public transportation?” “Why?” is an important term any mayor, planners, or city officials have to consider when implementing new measures in urban mobility. Does the city want to reduce its environmental impact by encouraging more people to use public transportation by eliminating fees? Is the city concerned for the social welfare of its residents who may be limited in career opportunities due to access? As Sangchul Kim, Chairman of Policy Committee at Public Transportation Network, pointed out, why don’t we pay for elevators as it is essentially playing the same role as public transit? It is not a service people should pay for as it is a public good. Common themes that were presented at the forum were the need to combat climate change and to increase the wellbeing of cities’ residents, with ambitious policies such as free public transport being considered. Korea and the EU have pledged carbon neutrality by 2050. The Korean and EU plans both aim to leverage green and digital transitions to increase the uptake of zero-emission vehicles, and solutions that will improve connectivity, access, and quality of life in cities. Eliminating fares in public transport is a step toward that vision.  

Dangjin City: Dangjin City’s free public transportation policy started in 2019 to address several issues such as the low number of available buses per capita in the city, low public transport mode share, and air pollution. The transport policy was split into three phases to gradually expand free public transport to the city’s most vulnerable residents. Dangjin City’s free transport policy has now entered its third phase of expanding the coverage to the youth population (between 6 and 18 years of age), from the previous coverage that targeted elderly above 75 years old, veterans, and the disabled. So far, the policy increased the public transport usage by the target audience by 30% on an annual basis while reducing the average economic burden of target households by 93,000 KRW (69 EUR) per month or 1,120,000 KRW (832 EUR) annually. 

EU Context

Talinn: Estonia’s capital was the first to provide fare-free service on buses, trams, and trolleys to its residents in 2013 and has since expanded this service all over Estonia with a public transport mode share of 25%. The free fares allowed the elderly to benefit from social outings and access to healthcare. The city also claimed an increase in income due to increased population size and economic activity. 

Luxembourg: With a population of just over 600,000, the country suffers from major congestion. In an effort to alleviate this, Luxembourg introduced free public transport among trains, trams, and buses in early 2020. While the outcome is still being evaluated, it has so far been perceived as successful.

Other cities across Europe are heavily subsidizing public transport including Freiburg, Edinburgh, and Dunkirk. Heidelberg and Coventry have programs where public transport is free or credits for public transport are offered to residents willing to give up their cars.

Other barriers in preventing people from using free public transport

In theory, free public transport sounds like an enticing way to tackle environment issues caused by personal vehicles. A survey conducted in Korea asked respondents whether they would use public transport if it is free. 57.9% of respondents responded positively while 51% said no, citing transfer and location inconvenience. Additionally, the cost of owning a personal vehicle is not as high in this country. Reggie Tricker, Sustainable Mobility Senior Officer at ICLEI European Secretariat, also shared a similar survey result from the United Kingdom where only 25% of respondents stating they were willing to give up their car in exchange for free public transport. However, the percentage is higher among people under 24 years old, with 50% of these respondents indicating their willingness to give up their car for free public transport. This raises the question of figuring out who the existing users are and what the target group is that cities want to attract in using public transportation.

These two survey results highlight another flaw in public transportation. People may not use public transport because of economic reasons, but there are other barriers in preventing potential users, which brings us back to the question of “Why?” Why do people not use public transport even when it’s free? Otto-Zimmerman provided some insights into the barriers preventing public transport use including:

• Too many transfers
• Long trip durations
• Unpleasant environment (e.g. crowded buses)
• Negative image (e.g. perception that public transport is only used by the poor)

So now what? 

Eliminating fares alone will not automatically encourage people to swap their automobiles for public transport. Transport authorities will need to improve public transport systems as a whole. A combination of carrot and sticks measures with a systems approach needs to be considered. Eliminating fares, route and destination optimization, and increasing comfort within public transport pulls in users but infrastructural changes such as replacing car lanes with exclusive bus lanes, and eliminating parking and implementing congestion fees, pushes for private vehicle owners to use public transit. At the same time, cities also need to consider that people who would have walked or biked might transition to public transport as well. The goal is to reduce vehicle trips and not to compete with active modes, hence a systems approach with free public transport complementing bicycling and walking as the desirable outcome.

One thing that cities will need to consider in implementing such policies is the financial burden that might be imposed without fare revenue. How will cities finance the transport system while maintaining a living wage and good working conditions for their transport workers? Innovative financial models and partnerships may need to be considered to ensure the longevity of a free public transport system.

Access to free public transportation is not a luxury but a basic need as it gives residents the opportunity to better access jobs and social activities, which then increases a city’s economic activity. Moreover, against the background of air pollution and other negative externalities caused by personal automobiles, free, convenient, and accessible public transport is a powerful tool in combating climate change.