Comments on: Why free public transport would work http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/ Raising Green Consciousness since 2002 Fri, 16 May 2008 11:23:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: cutthecar http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-68212 cutthecar Fri, 02 May 2008 08:38:06 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-68212 Re: Rimfax What does cost have to do with something being clean and efficient? If something is cheap, it doesn't mean it is clean or efficient in the environmental or even engineering sense. Also time isn't a factor when considering the environment. Cars are cheap because of the vast amount of cheap fossil fuels used to subsidise their use, combined with massive marketing campaigns and business infrastructures. The fact is if a car is cheap to run then it is because of a false bias and help given to support it. The down side is that if you want to walk somewhere where the car dominates, you will have a difficult and costly time trying to do so. Re: Rimfax

What does cost have to do with something being clean and efficient?
If something is cheap, it doesn’t mean it is clean or efficient in the environmental or even engineering sense. Also time isn’t a factor when considering the environment.

Cars are cheap because of the vast amount of cheap fossil fuels used to subsidise their use, combined with massive marketing campaigns and business infrastructures. The fact is if a car is cheap to run then it is because of a false bias and help given to support it. The down side is that if you want to walk somewhere where the car dominates, you will have a difficult and costly time trying to do so.

]]> By: Cashless Public Transit? « From My Bottom Step http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-43682 Cashless Public Transit? « From My Bottom Step Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:09:45 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-43682 [...] Links: 2007/07/05 - The Tyee: 2007/07/10 - EcoStreet: [...] […] Links: 2007/07/05 - The Tyee: 2007/07/10 - EcoStreet: […]

]]> By: debronski http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-34810 debronski Sat, 27 Oct 2007 04:17:54 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-34810 In South Africa productivity is hampered by the high cost of public transport. If transport were free people could forget about how they are going to get to work and worry about doing the job at hand. It would also do away with the cost of maintaining a minibus taxi industry that takes hundreds of lives each year through negligent driving and poorly maintained vehicles. This service could be govt. controlled instead. In South Africa productivity is hampered by the high cost of public transport. If transport were free people could forget about how they are going to get to work and worry about doing the job at hand. It would also do away with the cost of maintaining a minibus taxi industry that takes hundreds of lives each year through negligent driving and poorly maintained vehicles. This service could be govt. controlled instead.

]]> By: Rimfax http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-32931 Rimfax Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:25:38 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-32931 If public transit is so efficient and clean, why does it cost more per person per trip than driving one person per car, even when you include the cost of depreciation and carbon offsets? Even when subsidized on the order of 80% and with all of the infrastructure paid for, it still costs more money and more time than most drivers spend for a given trip. They don't even have a fraction of the liability exposure of most drivers because they are government-run. So, with all this extra cost to run when compared to cars and roads, is there really no comparable carbon production? If public transit is so efficient and clean, why does it cost more per person per trip than driving one person per car, even when you include the cost of depreciation and carbon offsets? Even when subsidized on the order of 80% and with all of the infrastructure paid for, it still costs more money and more time than most drivers spend for a given trip. They don’t even have a fraction of the liability exposure of most drivers because they are government-run. So, with all this extra cost to run when compared to cars and roads, is there really no comparable carbon production?

]]> By: Why free public transport would work « Environment News http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-31831 Why free public transport would work « Environment News Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:21:14 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-31831 [...] read more | digg story [...] […] read more | digg story […]

]]> By: Milander http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-31626 Milander Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:31:06 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-31626 I'M assuming you are from the states Kevin.No european would make a comment like that. As the post says, public transport is heavily subsidised already. The balance of the argument is that making it free would increase other avenues of public expenditure as a result of encouraging people to take advantage of free transportation. The first step is to realise that public transportation (pt) will never make a profit and as such is already 'paid for' by the government. The next step is to see beyond a car culture. If people know they can just hope on a bus or tram or train and visit a towns center or travel around a city it will encourage spot spending. Spot spending is the coke you pick up from the station vending machine, the visit to the museum shop you happened to go into on a whim. Free transport opens up a town and gets people to go to places they wouldn't normally go to because the "parking is so inconvinient". The taxes raised through sales and increased consumerism (the side benefits of free PT) more than outway the costs of implementing it. Just my opinion... I’M assuming you are from the states Kevin.No european would make a comment like that.

As the post says, public transport is heavily subsidised already. The balance of the argument is that making it free would increase other avenues of public expenditure as a result of encouraging people to take advantage of free transportation. The first step is to realise that public transportation (pt) will never make a profit and as such is already ‘paid for’ by the government. The next step is to see beyond a car culture. If people know they can just hope on a bus or tram or train and visit a towns center or travel around a city it will encourage spot spending. Spot spending is the coke you pick up from the station vending machine, the visit to the museum shop you happened to go into on a whim.

Free transport opens up a town and gets people to go to places they wouldn’t normally go to because the “parking is so inconvinient”.

The taxes raised through sales and increased consumerism (the side benefits of free PT) more than outway the costs of implementing it.

Just my opinion…

]]> By: Kevin http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-31210 Kevin Thu, 27 Sep 2007 03:31:43 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-31210 Pretty much only bums and other degenerates ride the bus around here. I can't say that's the crowd I choose to surround myself with. Pretty much only bums and other degenerates ride the bus around here. I can’t say that’s the crowd I choose to surround myself with.

]]> By: Bryce Stockwell http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-30798 Bryce Stockwell Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:00:20 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-30798 Sounds good in theory. I would love free public transport, but what of bus lines that are wasteful? I can see a potential problem with bus lines operating at an environmental/economic loss indefinitely with no metric to judge by. For example, a theoretical line that picks up only 1-5 rural passengers far away at great public expense might never stop running under such a system where fares/income are not accounted for. Sounds good in theory. I would love free public transport, but what of bus lines that are wasteful? I can see a potential problem with bus lines operating at an environmental/economic loss indefinitely with no metric to judge by. For example, a theoretical line that picks up only 1-5 rural passengers far away at great public expense might never stop running under such a system where fares/income are not accounted for.

]]> By: andrew brooks http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-30792 andrew brooks Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:59:25 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-30792 Free Public Transport would be beter for the environment and beter for those individuals that go from car to office to home. A little bit of extra walkiing that is unavoidable with public transport would be a godsend for health of the nation. Not to mention the cleaner air. One thing people seem to forget about driving is that it takes up so much of your time and concentration. It is very stressful. On public transport you can relax, read something or catch up on some work. Especially on the train! Free Public Transport would be beter for the environment and beter for those individuals that go from car to office to home. A little bit of extra walkiing that is unavoidable with public transport would be a godsend for health of the nation. Not to mention the cleaner air.

One thing people seem to forget about driving is that it takes up so much of your time and concentration. It is very stressful. On public transport you can relax, read something or catch up on some work. Especially on the train!

]]> By: mark knowles http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-30781 mark knowles Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:43:14 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/responsible-transport/2007/07/10/why-free-public-transport-would-work/#comment-30781 The British Government and Richard Branson are interested in one thing and one thing only: MONEY And I disagree that public transport is an affordable option at the moment. Just take a train from London to Birmingham and see. It's damn near cheaper to fly. The British Government and Richard Branson are interested in one thing and one thing only:
MONEY And I disagree that public transport is an affordable option at the moment. Just take a train from London to Birmingham and see. It’s damn near cheaper to fly.

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