Luxembourg becomes first country to make all public transport free

The country is to become the first country to offer a free public transport system, as their government abolished fares for all trams, trains and buses across the entire European country.

Some cities have taken similar partial measures but the transport ministry said it was the only time such a decision had encompassed an entire country.
The scheme applies to all Luxembourg residents – who number about 614,000 – as well as cross-border commuters and tourists.
Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister Francois Bausch said the plan would reduce congestion in the capital, Luxembourg City, and cut pollution.

“The main reason is to have better quality of mobility, and then the side reason is clearly also environmental issues,” he told Reuters.
“For people with low incomes or the minimum wage, for them it’s really substantial.”

The exception to the free-for-all public transport system will be first-class travel on trains and certain night bus services.