Paris Considers Free Public Transit

Reuters reports that Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has put forward a plan to make public transit free in the city. Opponents to the plan point out that fares generate over 3 million euros, and without those fares, tax-payers would have to make up the difference. Dropping the price would also boost ridership (as Hidalgo intends), but would also boost costs.

Hidalgo sees free transit as an important component of discouraging car travel and curbing the emissions from transit, currently the main contributor to carbon emissions. Hidalgo has already executed a number of plans to discourage car travel in the city including turning highways into parks and greatly expanding the city’s bike infrastructure.