Transports of Delight?

The Guardian waxes lyrical about the clear benefits of fare-free public transport. The paper claims that such developments, as recently seen in a number of European cities, are 'good for people and good for the planet' (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/07/the-guardian-view-on-fare-free-public-transport-good-for-people-as-well-as-the-planet). It's certainly true that free (or even heavily subsidised) public transport on buses; trams and local trains/underground systems, helps the mobility of (especially) poorer folk. That's good for both their health and, in some cases, their potential employment. Fare-free transport also notably reduces car use in cities. This limits climate and health-damaging emissions (even electric cars shed microplastics from their tyres and braking systems). It also reduces congestion, shortening journey times and making it easier to devise safe cycle/pedestrian routes. The need for city car parking will also decline. In addition, a focus on public transport, facilitates the rapid transition to emissions-light transport. There are, however, a few provisos. Fare-free public transport will only 'take off'effectively, if it's clean; reliable; frequent and safe. Such transport also has to serve the locations, where most people want to/need to travel. Some of the current 'links' within cities are, at best, tenuous. Accessibility to the vehicles is also of fundamental importance. Timings and capacities of services also need to carefully calibrated. One must also admit that fare-free public transport, would be relatively easy to disrupt. Having said all that, this is an idea whose time has surely come for many cities. We, of course, still have to worry about the transport needs of folk who live in rural areas.