TTW
TTW

Luxembourg makes all public transport free

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Favorite

Luxembourg has announced that by March 2020 – all public transport — trains, trams and buses will be free. Luxembourg is one of Europe’s smallest countries with a population of 602,000; but it suffers major traffic jams.

 

 

Dany Frank, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works said that this move will bring environmental benefits and minimize dense traffic congestion.

 

 

 

Luxembourg is one of the richest countries in Europe, with the highest per capita GDP in the European Union. It is roughly the size of Rhode Island. Belgium, France and Germany can all be reached by car in half an hour from the capital of Luxembourg City.

 

 

 

Luxembourg is a very attractive place for jobs. The housing costs are very high in Luxembourg City. Therefore 180,000 of its workforce commute from those neighboring countries every day.

 

 

However, its ‘booming economy’ and high concentration of jobs have led to severe congestion issues.

 

 

 

Luxembourg’s public transport system covers the whole country and costs U.S. Dollar 562 million (491 million euros) per year to run. Each year, it generates around U.S. Dollar 46 million (40 million euros) in ticket sales, according to the ministry.

 

 

 

In 2016, drivers in Luxembourg City spent an average of 33 hours in traffic jams. It fared worse than European cities Copenhagen and Helsinki, which have comparable population sizes to all of Luxembourg — yet drivers in both only spent an average of 24 hours in traffic.

 

 

As per a 2017 report by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, in 2016, Luxembourg had 662 cars per 1,000 people, and driving is a ‘primary means of transportation’ for commuters.

 

 

By making the rides free, the government wants the people to benefit from its booming economy.

 

 

There are concerns that free rides may deter people from taking a walk and choose a convenient option.

 

 

Luxembourg is the first city to make all public transport free. It might boost tourism.

 

 

 

Share On:

Subscribe to our Newsletters

« Back to Page

Related Posts

Select Your Language

PARTNERS

AHIF
IITM
at-TTW

Subscribe to our Newsletters

I want to receive travel news and trade event update from Travel And Tour World. I have read Travel And Tour World'sPrivacy Notice.

Mar 26
March 26 - March 28
Mar 27
March 27 - March 30
Mar 27
March 27 - March 30
Mar 29