Public transport from next Thursday They will be free for the 500,000 residents of the city of Montpellierin the south of France, one of the largest European cities to choose this initiative.

In Europe, Luxembourg, with 650,000 inhabitants, decided that the public transport in the country it was free as of 2020as well as the Estonian capital Tallinn (445,000 inhabitants) in 2013.

In France, about forty municipalities have already taken this step, including Dunkirk in the north, but all these cities have fewer inhabitants than Montpellier and its conurbation.

“The free transport It is an idea of ​​the European commitment, of the Green New Deal: the climate and purchasing power,” Montpellier mayor, Socialist Michaël Delafosse, explained to AFP on Thursday.

70% of Quito Metro users buy the ticket at the ticket office to use the service

Before this measure The total annual urban transport bill for a married couple with two children was 1,472 euros.

“Given the price of petrol, this measure could help reduce car use,” Audrey Benezech, 46, director of a travel agency, told AFP. In this city in the south of France, tipping was gradually imposed.

In 2020, it was deployed on weekends for all residents of the agglomeration, and in 2021 it was expanded to the whole week for people under 18 and those over 65. From this Thursday afternoon, all residents will be offered free passes, available on smartphones or with a card.

The user will no longer validate his ticket, but in the event of control, must justify a valid pass, renewable annually with proof of address.

“Sir, don’t push!” or ‘it’s coming out the window’: these are common expressions on Metrovía buses traveling full of passengers.

“We have equipped all tram trains with counting equipment. They count the number of people entering and leaving using a beam of light. This will help us make our free policy more objective,” explains Julie Frêche, Vice President of Transport.

Before starting the implementation of this free service, The number of public transport subscribers was 86,000 according to figures obtained by the AFP.

By mid-December, a few days before the launch of the free service, there were 260,000.

For both non-Montpellier residents and tourists, the ticket, 1.60 euros ($1.75) per unit, will continue to be paid and may even increase in price.

To compensate for the loss of income at the cash register, the municipality will rely on a tax that companies with more than eleven employees owe and which has been increasing for three years.

It also foresees savings of almost two million euros ($2.20 million) thanks to the elimination of invoice validators and therefore their maintenance. (JO)