Introduction
In many cities, the cost of a bus or tram ticket decides whether people can reach work, school or a hospital at all.
While
I accept that free travel would place a heavy burden on public budgets, I largely agree with Linking Words
this
proposal, because it would ease congestion, clean the air and open urban life to those who need it most.Linking Words
Body paragraph 1
Admittedly, the objections are not without merit. The most obvious is cost, since running a network of buses and trains is expensive, and removing fares means that every citizen pays through taxation whether they use the service or not. In Casablanca,
for instance
, the tramway recovers a large part of its running costs from tickets, and without them the council would need to find the money Linking Words
elsewhere
. Closely linked to Linking Words
this
is the risk of overcrowding, because a service that costs nothing attracts passengers who might Linking Words
otherwise
walk short distances, and, Linking Words
consequently
, the carriages become too full for those who truly depend on them.Linking Words
Body paragraph 2
Nevertheless
, the benefits of free travel outweigh these difficulties. The most important is the effect on traffic, since every driver who switches to the bus removes a car from the road, and fewer cars mean cleaner air, quieter streets and far fewer accidents. Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, Linking Words
for example
, saw private car use fall noticeably within a few years of abolishing fares. Linking Words
Moreover
, fare-free travel helps precisely the people who have the least. A student from a poor family in Rabat can attend university across the city, and an elderly woman can visit a clinic, without worrying whether the fare will leave enough for food. The money a government spends, Linking Words
therefore
, returns to society as better health and a stronger economy.Linking Words
Conclusion
In conclusion, abolishing fares is costly and may crowd the network, yet it reduces traffic, cuts pollution and gives the poorest citizens real freedom of movement. On balance, it is an investment that every large city should make.