The Impact of "Free" Public Transport: The Case of Brussels

Public transport subsidies play an important role in the present Belgian mobility policy. The introduction of “free” bus transport in Hasselt in 1997 was an important event. Later, the Flemish government in cooperation with the regional public transport company elaborated the so-called “third-payer system” for target groups. The price of public transport is not paid by the user or the provider, but partly or completely by a “third party”. In how far these measures contribute to a more sustainable mobility system has caused much debate. In the academic year 2003–2004, a “free public transport” initiative was introduced for the students of Flemish colleges and universities in Brussels. These students had the opportunity to obtain a refunded annual season ticket on Brussels public transport. Brussels was selected for the case study, because in the same city there is a group of students that benefits from the measure, and another group (students from French speaking universities and colleges) that does not. In order to examine the effects of this measure, we conducted a survey among the students to examine their present travel behaviour (number of trips, motives, modal choice …) and the changes with the travel behaviour of the previous year. In addition we compare the current travel behaviour between the students benefiting from the measure, and those who do not.

• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6VG7-4J6168Y-1/2/17bdd57f87979d7334ebfd75ace98a1a
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09658564
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission from Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • De Witte, Astrid
  • Macharis, Cathy
  • Lannoy, Pierre
  • Polain, Celine
  • Steenberghen, Therese
  • Van de Walle, Stefaan
• Publication Date: 2006-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 671-689
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice
  • Volume: 40
  • Issue Number: 8
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0965-8564
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09658564

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Access; Bus transit; Case studies; College students; Free fares; Interviewing; Mobility; Mode choice; Pricing; Public opinion; Public service; Public transit; Travel behavior; Travel surveys; Universities and colleges
• Uncontrolled Terms: Mental maps; Refunds
• Geographic Terms: Brussels (Belgium)
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Finance; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01029781
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jul 27 2006 9:42AM