Fare-Free Public Transport

Fare-free public transport, also called zero-fare public transport, is public transportation that is fully funded by means other than collecting fares from riders, typically through national, regional or local taxation, commercial sponsorship, or both. Luxembourg became the first country in the world to make its entire public transport network, buses, trams and trains, free nationwide on February 29, 2020, and Malta made most public routes free for residents on October 1, 2022; Tallinn, Estonia adopted free public transport in 2013 and remains a major capital city operating the policy, while Kharkiv, Ukraine, with a population of about 1.42 million, is currently the largest city offering free transit to all residents. Advocates argue that fare-free systems can cut traffic congestion and air pollution, improve access for low-income residents, and lower operating costs by eliminating fare collection; in Hasselt, Belgium, ridership had risen to roughly 13 times its earlier level by 2006 under a fare-free policy.