Absolutely. We already have them--public transportation is already subsidized--but IMHO they should be free to the rider.
@o_andras @chu @humantransit Yes. This, 100%. For most destinations in the UK, it's cheaper for me to drive than to take a train, even if I'm alone. When there are two or more of us, it's not even close. Driving is also much more reliable.
I want that fixed, and I'm prepared to pay more tax to make it happen.
In Canada, there's a transit penalty. It takes longer, is not reliable, and costs a fortune.
Taking the train to Ottawa from Toronto cost me $700 for my family of four last year. It would have been cheaper to rent a car.
But my federal government insists they are the most pro environment party. My prime minister marched with Greta Thunberg no less! (Then approved an off shore oil well within weeks).
@o_andras @bdatlrides @mike @humantransit
I don't know where reliability fits into the equation but I think it's even more important than speed. I can handle the trip being an extra 20 minutes as long as I know it's coming
@bdatlrides @o_andras @mike @humantransit
Not sure. But I'll give you an example. In Switzerland I took something called a "post bus" to a middle of nowhere town. It was an hourly bus, but you could set your watch to it.
Frequency and reliability matter so much.
If I could wasn't on vacation, hourly won't do. That's too much bending my life and day around. But the reliability made me rethink especially considering how far it was from anything. In Toronto, you often wait 20 minutes for the bus that says 10. People drive because it's subsidize compared to transit.
Why take transit when it's cheaper to park the car?
So it's not just a matter of price either. It's price relative to other options. Nobody takes transit as a family. It'll run as much as $28 Cdn for four when parking is often free.
@humantransit if you have your driving license taken away by doctors then you qualified for disabled rail card (1/3 off train and tube) and free off peak bus use. If you choose not to buy a car, have never had a license or don’t drive for any other reason: full price
If you have no intent ever of driving you could consider declaring yourself unfit to drive (sleep apnea, perhaps) just for the discount. Though if your bus service is FirstBus it’s hard to justify the effort
@humantransit @Catfish_Man
Brah, we’re still trying to stop oil subsidies 🤪
https://fortune.com/2023/08/24/fossil-fuel-subsidies-1-3-trillion-record/
But hey… I know where we might find 1.3 trillion to get started!
@humantransit You already save money by not owning a car at all.
Despite giving subsidies, governments still get money from EV owners. Taxes on buying them to begin with, fuelling to a lesser extent, etc.
And depending on the country those subsidies are quickly dissappearing. In the UK there's practically none with the last one dissappearing.
@humantransit Absolutely!
Reminds me a couple of years back here in The Netherlands where drivers who would frequently drive a certain busy highway got paid if they stopped using that highway, while I, who never used it in the first place, never got a penny!
Totalmente de acuerdo. En España te dan ayudas a la compra de un vehículo (hasta 7000 euros si entregas el viejo y 9000 euros si lo achatarras) pero no te dan ayudas por achatarrar un vehículo sin comprar otro.
@humantransit +9001%
I think people should be offered #FreePublicTransport if they have no driving license and/or no #car in their possession...
Personally, I'd make any subsidies basically antiproportional to MGW/Net Weight ratio, Capacity, Deadweight and price, to incentivize not #SuperUselessVehicles, but #PersonalLightVehicles.
Ideally also #UsedVehicles are eligible as most people just can't afford a new one and incentivizing #Repairability, #UseLonger & #ReUse as well as #Upcyclibg over new production is more envoirmentally friendly.
Personally whilst I'd wish every village hat 24/7 15min cycle public transport access, I also acknowledge the unavoidable edgecases, which is why I propose #PersonalLightVehicles:
Jarrett Walker
Nobilis Reed
🟥 Eveline Sulman 🇳🇱🇪🇺🇺🇦
Bart Louwers
Charles J Gervasi ⚡🛡️🥥
Enkiusz🇺🇦
Chu 朱
🚲🚲,😀😄,🤩🌍
o_andras
Mike Taylor 🦕
Binh ATL
Ehproque has moved
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MariaSalomons
Tor Kingdon
Serge 🔻
climate voter/radical oldie
run_atalanta -> beige.party
karoshi
intjonathan
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benschwarz
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Tim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE
Ryan Walmsley
Erwin Rossen 🔸
Africano
Marcos M. 🚲 🇵🇸
Kevin Leecaster
Kevin Karhan 
mass × speed ^ 2, and since we can all assume that a Vmax ≥ 130km/h is deemed the lower limit of what would be seen as acceptable to flow in traffic globally, keeping mass low & minimize drag aka. 'air resistance' in terms of design should be mandatory...@humantransit Belgium pays an allowance to workers who ride their bicycle to work.
#bicycle #cycling #working #climatechange #climatecrisis #mobility
@humantransit In the red states they tax us for having an EV and not paying gas tax. I guess non-owners should see the same?
I'd like to cash in my chit for 50 years of not owning cars, please?
@humantransit
> If there are going to be climate-justified subsidies for owning electric cars, there should be subsidies for not owning cars at all
I think those are called subsidies for public transport, active transport infrastructure etc ; ) But it sure would be nice to get the same percentage discount when buying a bike, especially an e-bike.
@humantransit
Agreed. There should also be subsidies for:
Not flying
Not using Generative AI
Not using crypto
Not having an air conditioner
A lot of us po' people would be doing alright if we actually got rewarded for our environmentally friendly lifestyles.
Raphael Lullis
_noelamac_
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