Luxembourg will soon become the world’s first country to make all public transportation free.
In 2020, all fares on trains, trams and buses will be eliminated. This is in response to long commutes and a high carbon footprint, as well as the desire to reduce what is some of the world’s worst traffic congestion.
While Luxembourg is a small nation landlocked by Belgium, Germany and France, it sees over 400,000 commuters regularly travelling in from neighbouring nations and it currently has the most cars per person in the European Union.
The government plans to purchase additional trains to double public transport capacity by 2024, along with significant investment in trams to extend the nation’s existing network.
While free public transport is expected to have a positive impact on the nation’s traffic and carbon footprint, the European Commission estimates the government’s budget surplus will decline from 2.7 percent of GDP last year to 2.3 percent of GDP this year.
