Free public transportation, also known as fare-free or zero-fare public transportation, is public transportation that is entirely financed by sources other than passenger fares. It may be financed by taxes levied by the federal, state, or local governments, or by commercial sponsorship from companies.
However, unlike Luxembourg, this is only applicable to locals. The organization may decide not to collect fares for an inaugural time in order to generate interest or test operations, as some transit lines that were originally planned to run with fares begin service.
City services
Numerous smaller communities worldwide and a number of mid-sized European cities have made their public transit systems zero-fare. Following a public decision, Tallinn, the capital of Estonia and home to over 420,000 people, made the transition to free public transportation in 2013.
Fourteen rural transit systems in the U.S. state of Washington have implemented zero-fare policy, either permanently or as part of test programs in the 2020s. Since September 2022, the majority of the state’s local and intercity transit systems have offered free fares to travelers who are 18 years of age or younger. The scheme was a component of a broader statewide transportation plan that also included the Washington State Ferries system and state-run intercity Amtrak trains.
Specialized groups
One common form of zero-fare transportation is student transportation, which enables kids to travel to and from school without paying. The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point provides some funding for the Stevens Point Transit system. The university also funds two free late-night bus routes that run through downtown in an effort to curb drunk driving. The University of Nottingham offers free Hopper Bus service between its University Park and Jubilee,
Sutton Bonington, and Royal Derby Hospital campuses because no other bus operators offer direct routes between these locations. Travelers must, however, touch their university ID to board this service. Some places provide free transportation because a portion of the fare collection expenses are already covered by the government, a company, or a service. As an example, most of Moscow’s
Countries of availability
- Luxembourg
- Estonia
- Malta
- Romania
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Hungary