Paris Will Make Public Transportation Free for Kids • Hacker News Board

Re: Paris Will Make Public Transportation Free for Kids

#21

Post by ousta » Sun, Jan 20, 2019, 9:37 PM UTC

r32a_ wrote: post #13

zhoujianfu wrote: post #2

Why not make it just free for everybody? Public transportation typically has profit margins of -50% to -90% anyway... just take it to -100% and get a huge boost in ridership! (And probably save some expenses relating to collecting payment/enforcement.)

In Melbourne, Australia, Trams are free for everyone within the CBD district

they weren't free for foreigners when i was there. good move.

Re: Paris Will Make Public Transportation Free for Kids

#22

Post by lostmsu » Sun, Jan 20, 2019, 9:41 PM UTC

When I was a kid, I loved free transportation in my city. I could get on a bus off peak hours, and make a trip or two around the whole city, just staring out the window. Sometimes I wonder if that was a significant part of what made me who I am.

Re: Paris Will Make Public Transportation Free for Kids

#23

Post by bsaul » Sun, Jan 20, 2019, 9:49 PM UTC

zhoujianfu wrote: post #2

Why not make it just free for everybody? Public transportation typically has profit margins of -50% to -90% anyway... just take it to -100% and get a huge boost in ridership! (And probably save some expenses relating to collecting payment/enforcement.)

Except a boost in ridership is absolutely not what you’d want in an overpopulated city like Paris. Subway is so bad i’ve already witnessed people waiting for trains from outside the station itself.

in the peak hours you often have to skip two or three trains because they’re packed.

Re: Paris Will Make Public Transportation Free for Kids

#24

Post by yardie » Sun, Jan 20, 2019, 9:53 PM UTC

baq wrote: post #15

zhoujianfu wrote: post #2

Why not make it just free for everybody? Public transportation typically has profit margins of -50% to -90% anyway... just take it to -100% and get a huge boost in ridership! (And probably save some expenses relating to collecting payment/enforcement.)

completely free means you have one less legal reason to kick out the bad kind of homeless.

Unlike The MTA the Paris metro shuts down at 1AM. So no one is camping out on the platform, for long.

And last time I was there the controllers were scanning passes quite frequently.

Re: Paris Will Make Public Transportation Free for Kids

#25

Post by jvanloov » Sun, Jan 20, 2019, 9:54 PM UTC

Angostura wrote: post #3

Sounds like a good idea. Transport for London already does this.

Ghent (Belgium) has also done this for several years already. Among others, my kids' school uses this for local activities such as going to one of the city parks (a weekly activity in certain years/classes); only the teacher and non-local kids don't ride for free, total cost for the school is much less.

Re: Paris Will Make Public Transportation Free for Kids

#26

Post by kirion25 » Sun, Jan 20, 2019, 9:58 PM UTC

agumonkey wrote: post #18

a3_nm wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you sure about public transportation being free in Lille? (I've been there often and I've never heard of that.)

I'm not entirely sure.. my memories are fuzzy.

Probably confusing it with Dunkirk. It's the largest and latest (back in september 2018) city to implement free for all.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gratuit%C3%A9_des_transports_e...

Re: Paris Will Make Public Transportation Free for Kids

#27

Post by MrTonyD » Sun, Jan 20, 2019, 10:00 PM UTC

Hong Kong makes 2 billion a year on public transportation. They did that by giving the land around the station to the transportation agency, so they lease it out long term, and that pays for all the trains and operations. They charge a token fee for using public transportation.

I'd prefer to see real public support, rather than a business/profit justification for lower fares, but in the current greed-valued world I'll settle for a greed justified way to create a community good.

Re: Paris Will Make Public Transportation Free for Kids

#28

Post by _eLRIC » Sun, Jan 20, 2019, 10:06 PM UTC

Good initiative However, Paris city council elections are due in 2020 ... difficult not to see a direct link with this happening end of 2019

Re: Paris Will Make Public Transportation Free for Kids

#29

Post by johannes1234321 » Sun, Jan 20, 2019, 10:07 PM UTC

baq wrote: post #15

zhoujianfu wrote: post #2

Why not make it just free for everybody? Public transportation typically has profit margins of -50% to -90% anyway... just take it to -100% and get a huge boost in ridership! (And probably save some expenses relating to collecting payment/enforcement.)

completely free means you have one less legal reason to kick out the bad kind of homeless.

kind of a strawman. Maybe one could also find better ways to give shelter to homeless. And for the bad kid there are other ways than using tickets for that.

Re: Paris Will Make Public Transportation Free for Kids

#30

Post by sudden » Sun, Jan 20, 2019, 10:08 PM UTC

andys627 wrote: post #20

efrafa wrote: post #19

In Slovakia trains are free for students and seniors. [0] Most people see this very negatively. [0] https://www.slovakrail.sk/en/zero-fare.html

Why is it seen negatively?

Because only a few people truly understand economics.