Thursday, April 4, 2013

Tallinn, Estonia - #freetransit boosting the economy, paying for itself

Estonia's capital gives residents a free ride - Chambersburg Public Opinion: A recent opinion poll commissioned by the city showed that nine out of 10 Tallinn residents are satisfied with the project.

"People now move around the city more frequently during weekends," Aas said. "This means they also spend more money, which boosts the economy."

... the program is expected to boost the city's tax revenue because the registration requirement is essentially winning the city more taxable residents.

... Tallinn is the first capital and the largest city after Changning City in central China to introduce free public transport, Aas said.

He said the project's two risks—insufficient capacity and the risk of derelicts spending entire days in buses—have not materialized so far.

..."It gives you freedom," said Tulp, as she boarded a bus on her way home to a suburb of Tallinn. "It's not just money."