Hardly any fewer cars and traffic jams with cheaper public transport

Lowering public transport fares hardly ensures that people get it Car leaving. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the Knowledge Institute for Mobility Policy (KiM) in the report Effects of fare reductions in public transport. People will travel more and cycle and walk less.

If tickets become cheaper for everyone and at any time of the day, three-quarters of the increase in public transport use can be attributed to journeys that are not currently being made, according to the researchers. This percentage grows when the rate reductions apply only to specific audiences and at specific times. Only 18 percent of new travelers are people who have already travelled Car grabbed.

Hardly less car traffic with cheaper public transport

With a price reduction of 40 percent, rail usage increases by 21 percent, bus usage by 12 percent and tram/underground usage by 13 percent. But because it CarUsage in the Netherlands is much larger than public transport use, the impact of price reductions in public transport on the Caruse relatively much less, says the KiM. If public transport use increases by 1 percent due to a fare reduction, it will decrease Carusage by just 0.03 percent.

The researchers also fear the negative consequences of a sharp increase in the use of public transport. For example, there is less chance of getting a seat and existing travelers can look for an alternative means of transport. They also point out that, particularly in non-urban areas, local public transport is not an alternative due to the limited supply.

Make the car less attractive

The Knowledge Institute states that a combination of measures is more effective in discouraging travelers Car to get into transit. “By using the Car Making public transport less attractive and at the same time more attractive has an impact on the Carusage are greater,” said KiM. This can be done, for example, by making parking more expensive or introducing a kilometer fee and, in addition to reducing public transport fares, also by increasing the number of trains, buses and trams of higher quality.