Decarbonising Transport.

The West Midlands Climate Coalition believe the benefits of FFPT are as follows:

A Public Service 

Local and regional transport systems should be run as schooling, health, parks, museums and libraries, a public service free at the point of use. There would be no need for ticketing infrastructure, arguments with drivers, or  the chasing  of fare  dodgers.

Climate Friendly 

FFPT would be a major incentive for reducing car use, thus reducing the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions across the region. Investment in more electric or hydrogen fuelled buses would be required. 

 Electric Cars? 

These are at best a partial solution; they are heavy, expensive, and still emit particulate pollution from tyres. They would not ease congestion, delays or accidents. 

A Social Solution 

 Sharing pubic transport and moving away from the individualistic car is a far more social way of travelling. The buses, trams and trains would be socially owned as well, and not run for a profit. and trains could be made even more social by upgrading them to be accessible for all. 

Safer Roads and Pavements 

Cyclists and pedestrians would welcome a big drop in car use. Buses would travel more slowly, with especially trained drivers. Even with more buses on the road accidents would be less likely. 

Emptier Streets 

We could move away from the ridiculous situation of streets being packed on both sides with parked cars  that are rarely used. Children might be able to play in the roads once again! 

Less Cost 

Many working class people, especially the young, cannot afford to buy, insure, run, and repair cars. 

Some cars would still be necessary for particular purposes, for disabled people for example. However, they could  be progressively socially owned and shared. 

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Fare Free Public Transport is already here! 

Many locations in France and Poland, the whole of Luxembourg and Malta, Tallinn, and other places around the world already have FFPT schemes. It has also been trialled in the UK - Swansea, Newport, Leighton Buzzard, Hereford, and now there is a pilot scheme in Glasgow.  

Inefficient, polluting, and often costly, inaccessible and dangerous; this is the legacy of the transport system in the West Midlands, dominated as it is by private interests and individualism. Yes, there are some positive features such as free travel for pensioners and disabled people, and the trams, although being highly expensive to build, are accessible, but the overall picture shows a system in need of root and branch change.

Investment should be shifted away from road building, airport expansion and luxury car production towards setting up a regional transport system that is free at the point of use. This would necessitate (re) training and skilling the region’s workforce into producing and maintaining the necessary vehicles and infrastructure for a social mass transport system.

A campaign has been launched for FFPT in London https://www.farefreelondon.org We need one in the West Midlands. If you are a transport user, a trade unionist, or a campaign/community activist who wants to get involved, please contact acrwestmids@btinternet.com providing them with your name, your organisation, and your contact details.