Public transportation system is usually used by common people who can not afford using the cars or other private vehicles. Almost every country has a public transport system which is funded by the government and the services are made available at lower rates. People and nongovernmental organizations from across the globe have started advocating for a free transport system, they say that it would not only encourage the people to keep their vehicles at home but also it solves several economic, environmental and social problems. Several campaigns are being run in different countries for a free transport system. This paper discusses the free transport system and several related aspects.
The logical aspect behind the free public transport is that 50 people need 50 cars to travel but their requirements can be fulfilled by a single bus also, it saves a large amount of fuel and further it helps the environment. If 50 cars are stuck and keep their engines on just for one minute in the traffic, they consume the bigger amount of fuel and the bus can travel miles in that amount. If the people are provided even free transportation, the money which is saved by not using 50 cars, is saved and remains in their country. The roads will be congestion free and also there will be enough space for the cyclists. Hasselt, a city in Belgium used to be one of the most congested cities. Hasselt city council introduced a free transportations system in the year 1996 and since then the number of bus travelers have increased by almost 1300%. The problem of congestion on the roads has been almost solved.
The people who use their private vehicles for transportation are somehow polluting the environment and ethically they are guilty to those who do not put in the pollution in the environment. The coming generation have every right to get a pollution free environment and undamaged ozone layer and it is our ethical duty to provide them their right as we have received the same from the people of earlier generations.
People who advocate for the free public transport say that this step is going to benefit the society in many ways. If the transport is free, a large number of people will use the same which results into congestion free roads, expanded space, less pollution, less wastage of money during pick traffic hours. Fewer vehicles on the road means less health problems, no road rages, saving of the money and control on the rampant effects of the pollution on the ozone layer and the environment. On the other hand, there are people who oppose the idea by saying that the people who use the public transport should pay and why its burden should be on those who never use public transport. They further say that the concept of the free transport is not practical, nothing comes for free and the users who use the services are liable to pay for it.
After having observed the several aspects of a free transport system, it is clear to say that the concept is very good and if implemented properly, it can solve many problems. This is the demand of the time and the people as well as the governments should seriously think about this idea.
Works Cited
Frederic P Miller, Agnes F Vandome and John McBrewster. Free Public Transport. Saarbrucken: VDM Publishing House Ltd., 2010.
OECD. Road Travel Demand: Meeting the Challenge. Paris: OECD Publishing, 2002.
White, Peter. Public transport: its planning, management and operation. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2009.
