Germany is trialling free public transport in five cities to fight air pollution

Source: The Guardian

Although this is an old story, the German government did plan to trial free public transport in cities suffering from air pollution, as Angela Merkel’s administration scrambled to meet EU pollution rules and avoid fines. Severe pollution causes 400,000 premature deaths and leads to billions of Euros in health care costs each year across Europe. The intention is to encourage people to leave their cars at home, thereby reducing nitrogen dioxide emissions and particulate matter.

The plan was rolled out in five cities in the Western part of the country, which are Bonn, Essen, Mannheim, Reutlingen and Herrenberg (near Stuttgart). Also proposed are "low emission zones" for large transporter vehicles, increasing the number of electric-powered taxis and boosting incentives for electric cars in general.

Read more:
- German cities to trial free public transport to cut pollution. The Guardian, February 14, 2018.
- Germany is planning free public transit to fight air pollution. Global Citizen, February 14, 2018.
- Germany considering free public transportation to take on air pollution. DW, February 13, 2018.