On Monday 9 February, Glasgow Council rolled out complementary ZoneCards for 500 people taking part in a seven week trial scheme. Participants were selected through community and support organisations, and based on the likelihood they would face obstacles, including being unable to afford tickets, without assistance.
irst Bus, Stagecoach, the Subway, and ScotRail routes throughout the city area are all covered until 29th March.
Users will now be able to travel around the city without paying, in exchange for helping the local authority collect data on passenger behaviour and the potential impact of toll-free transport on employment, education and public health.
Glasgow’s Green Party, which was responsible for tabling the project, has welcomed the decision to press on with the trial, describing the offer as a ‘gamechanger’. The group has already pushed the message that encouraging more people to ride public transport is beneficial to vulnerable and low income residents, and the environment.
Cities across the world are either considering or have implemented similar systems. Hasselt, Belgium, abolished tickets in 1997 and saw a 13-fold increase in ridership by 2006. Estonia’s capital Tallinn introduced its own policy in 2013 following a public vote. Last year Belgrade, Serbia, followed suit, offering 1.38 million citizens complimentary travel, while in the US, Washington is now home to 14 rural transit networks that do not charge for tickets, and Luxembourg no longer has fares within its national borders
