The free transport debate can be illustrated through two political figures well known in the national debate. On the one hand, Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris and great defender of this principle. On the other, Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region, who says she is "philosophically" opposed to it.
In the communities of more than 100,000 inhabitants where it has been set up, such as Dunkirk, Niort or Aubagne, partial or total gratuity has however proven its effectiveness. Free transport sometimes even cost less to set up than when it was chargeable.
"A question of political choice"
In large cities, the equation is more difficult to solve. Two major obstacles complicate the implementation of a free policy: the risk of saturation on already crowded networks, and the thorny question of funding. Not insurmountable, according to Maxime Huré, lecturer in political science and president of the VIGS association: “You can find money especially by abandoning expensive projects that are controversial in terms of utility, like the big stadiums built in certain cities or the bypassing of certain peripherals ” , he affirms. “Total free is possible. It is a question of political choice . ”
Such a policy also has advantages in terms of environmental protection, social policy and purchasing power returned to users. Other cities in Europe have understood this. In Tallinn, the Estonian capital, transport has been free since 2013. In 2020, an entire country, Luxembourg, will take the plunge. In Paris, free education could still gain ground after the municipal elections. Already granted to people over 65, means-tested, and to people with disabilities, the outgoing mayor in the Anne Hidalgo campaign wants to extend it to young people under the age of 18.
