How persuasive is 'free' public transport?: A survey among commuters in the Brussels Capital Region

Authors

Astrid De Witte
Cathy Macharis
Olivier Mairesse

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2008

Subject Area

planning - surveys, policy - fares, mode - mass transit

Keywords

Transit, Surveys, Public transit, Modal shift, Mass transit, Local transit, Free fares, Commuters, Belgium

Abstract

In Belgium, several cities have been experimenting with 'free' public transport based on the concept of a third payer system. This study explores the modal shift potential of this measure for commuters by means of a large-scale survey. The results indicate that there is still a margin for a further modal shift, but in order to make public transport more attractive to car users, the price paid by the commuter should be lowered, the quality and capacity of the public services should be improved and the mobility policy of the companies should be adjusted in favor of public transport.

Comments

Transport Policy Home Page: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0967070X

Recommended Citation

De Witte, Astrid, Macharis, Cathy, Mairesse, Olivier. (2008). How persuasive is 'free' public transport? A survey among commuters in the Brussels Capital Region. Transport Policy, Volume 15, Issue 4, pp 216-224.