All electric, fare free bus fleet for South Carolina city:

Seneca city bus company honored at White House » Anderson Independent Mail: "Foothill Transit was the first to put the all-electric bus to work in its fleet about three years ago. In 2013, Seneca intends to switch its entire gas-powered buses to an electric fleet. Seneca city administrator Greg Dietterick attended the ceremony. He said it offered a chance to publicize the fact that in 2013, Seneca will become the first all electric, fare-free, public transit fleet in the nation. Dietterick said the city will soon be hosting visitors from across the globe, wanting to see an all-electric bus fleet in action."

Bus driver's death evokes call for free public transport

The NZ Herald published this letter from Fare-Free NZ editor, Roger Fowler today. The letter was written in the aftermath of the shocking assault and death of a Lower Hutt bus driver, Herman Curry, on Friday. His cashbox was later found minus about $30 - $50 bus fares.
Many bus drivers have experienced threats, assaults and robberies. If public transport was fare-free & cashboxes were removed, drivers could concentrate on their job: getting their passengers to their destinations promptly & safely - without the constant fear of such attacks.

On Public Transport

Collecting fares is a time-consuming, expensive and often dangerous method of paying for public transport.

Now, a bus driver has paid the ultimate price.

It is time to consider mass mobility as an important public service, like libraries. We should all share the costs and benefits.

Eliminate fares and upgrade public transport to get commuters out of cars, cut congestion, and make travel safer.

Roger Fowler,

Mangere East.

German drivers offered free public transport

Motorists in the German city of Leipzig are to be offered free public transport this week in a bid to cut congestion.

The authorities' decision comes amid concerns over commuting times and lengthening traffic jams.

The hope is that motorists will be persuaded to leave their cars at home permanently.

They will have to produce vehicle or driving licences. Families and groups can also travel together on a single document.

Rising fuel prices in Germany have led to recent calls for the tax on petrol to be cut, although commuters are already able to offset their journeys to work against income tax.

BBC Europe News 10/4/2012

Submission to Auckland Transport Plan

Submission on the key transport challenges and priorities for the Auckland region.

With the past & current emphasis on catering for cars and building more & more roads, traffic congestion and resulting pollution, health & other problems are having a serious, detrimental impact on Auckland, and this can only get worse as the population and vehicle-use grows.

There needs to be a substantial shift from cars to public transport.

I submit that to acheive this big shift in mobility modes and outlook, the Auckland Council should urgently consider introducing fare free public transport across the region.

This should be accompanied with an immediate halt to all spending on extravagent roading projects & diverting these funds to the free public transport programme, purchase of a large fleet of modern, low-emission buses, upgraded electric train services & ferries, improved public transport traffic flow measures, and passenger and walking & cycling amenities across the region.

Simple colour-coded integrated routes should be introduced to make public transport easily accessible to all, and allow for an easy, seamless switch from one route to another. Buses, ferries & trains should run at frequent intervals. Services should run 24/7. 'Public Transport Ambassadors' should be engaged to assist passengers, discourage anti-social behaviour, and allow drivers to concentrate of safe driving.

With a massive PR promotion, fare-free & frequent public transport could rapidly attract a large proportion of people out their cars and onto public transport.

This would have a major impact on reducing the road toll (deaths & injuries), reducing pollution & related issues, such as respiratory illnesses & stress, big reduction in wasted time sitting on gridlocked roads, big reduction in fuel costs and wastage, reduction in road maintenance costs, reduce the need for parking, eliminate the need for expensive fare collecting systems, and greatly increase the ability for Aucklanders to move about their city safely & easily.

Thank you,

Roger Fowler
5 Tennessee Ave,
Mangere East
Auckland 2024.

[Submitted Friday 23 March 2012]

Tallinn Receives Swedish Free Public Transit Award

Photo: Postimees/Scanpix

See Also

• Swedish NGO Nominates Tallinn for Free Public Transit Award 01.03.2012 15:06
• Councilman: Cost of Public Transportation Referendum Too Much (2) 02.03.2012 17:51
• Tallinn to Poll Citizens on Free Public Transport (6) 27.01.2012 11:00

Tallinn's free transportation initiative has won the city an award by a Swedish NGO, Planka.nu.

The award, founded in 2010, has been handed out to organisations, individuals or cities that have made a notable contribution to changing urban traffic policies towards the better.

"Tallinn has shown that there are alternatives to the current model of fee-/ticket-financed public transport which would also lead to great benefits from a climate and resource perspective," Anna Nygård of the award committee said in a statement.

The award will be presented to Tallinn officials during the city's transportation referendum held from March 19 to 25.

If passed, the law implementing free public transportation in Tallinn would become effective beginning in 2013, the city government has said.

Erkki Sivonen

Beijing introduces free public transportation plan for the disabled

Global Times | March 01, 2012 00:50 By Xu Wen

Beijing transportation authorities and the city's association for disabled people have announced that the disabled from today on will be able to enjoy free public transportation.

The Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport (BMCT) and Beijing Disabled Persons' Federation (BDPF) said in a press conference Tuesday that, in addition to buses, blind people may ride subways for free.

Beneficiaries only need present their certificate of disability issued by the China Disabled Persons' Federation to enjoy the specialized services, the China News Service reported.

An official with the BMCT indicated that the free rides for the disabled would be on buses with initial digits from 1 to 9, as well as the express 101 and 102 buses, and routes to remote counties and districts. The blind are also allowed to have one person to accompany them on subway lines for free.

"Disabled persons are also permitted to carry on board with them their indispensable equipment free of charge, but it must be stressed that all disabled persons ensure their certificate photo is clear so that identification can easily be made," the official said.

"The new policy applies to not only local Beijing residents, but also to disabled people from other cities," Li Caimao, director of the policy research center at the BDPF, told the Global Times.

Zhou Huibiao, a 26-year-old physically disabled man who works at a technology company in Beijing, told the Global Times that he felt the measures highlighted the government's concern for disabled persons.

Although it will decrease transportation costs for the disabled, Zhou believes it is not enough to help the physically disabled people move around, as there are few specialized accessible doors on public buses in Beijing.

Cheng Jiyong, a disabled entrepreneur in Beijing, told the Beijing Daily that the measures will really benefit the disabled, and recommended disabled persons avoid the use of public transportation during rush hours.

A "new worry" for multi-national car manufacturers!

Ford chief warns of car ‘global gridlock’

Financial Times, 27 February 2012.

By Daniel Thomas in Barcelona and John Reed in London

©Reuters

The world faces the threat of “global gridlock” as the number of cars surges from 1bn to a projected 4bn by 2050, Bill Ford, Ford Motor’s chairman and head of the US carmaker’s founding family, will warn on Monday.

Mr Ford will use a keynote speech at the Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona to outline the company’s proposal for a future of connected cars and intelligent transport systems, which he will argue is essential to avoid a future marred by crippling congestion.

“There is a new worry, and that is we could go to global gridlock as cars rise to 4bn by mid-century,” Mr Ford said in an interview ahead of his speech. “If we do nothing, the sheer number of people and cars in urban areas will mean global gridlock.”

As record numbers of people buy cars – especially in developing countries such as China and India – the concept of mobility pioneered by industry founders such as his great-grandfather Henry is under threat, Mr Ford will argue.

Ford’s “blueprint for mobility” will call for greater co-operation between rival carmakers, governments and mobile phone companies to create a transport network in which pedestrians, bicycles, cars and commercial and public transport are part of an interconnected system.

“Now is the time for all of us to be looking at vehicles on the road the same way we look at smart phones, laptops and tablets: as pieces of a much bigger, richer network,” Mr Ford told the Financial Times.

Mr Ford, who stepped down as the carmaker’s chief executive in 2006, has championed environmental issues in the past. His speech in Barcelona will signal the US carmaker’s intention to seize leadership in the field of urban, networked driving – a growing preoccupation across the car industry.

Bill Ford, chairman of Ford Motor

Ford and other carmakers are rushing to develop new products and services that capitalise on the possibilities opened by new telecommunications and cloud-computing technology, even as they sell more cars than ever in densely urbanised emerging markets.

Carmakers are worried that if they do not help to find solutions to ease congestion in “megacities” such as Beijing, Mumbai and Sao Paulo, their sales growth could slow or their products become obsolete.

Among Ford’s rivals, General Motors is developing the EN-V, an electric, self-piloting two-seat microvehicle that it showcased at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010. GM is now developing a second generation of the experimental car for use in a new “Eco-City” near Tianjin.

Audi, the German premium car brand owned by Volkswagen, is also calling for greater co-operation between carmakers and other industries to address urban congestion. Among the ideas it is proposing is the roll-out of “intelligent” road surfaces capable of organising traffic more efficiently.

Nigerian state introduces free transport for all school children

THE Enugu State Government has introduced free transport services for primary school pupils and secondary school students in the state.

By Emma Ugwueze, Enugu, Nigeria.

THE Enugu State Government has introduced free transport services for primary school pupils and secondary school students in the state.

This is part of the palliatives the government has rolled out to cushion the effect of the increase in the pump price of petrol,

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke, who disclosed this to newsmen at the end of the first meeting of the Year of the State Executive Council said the service would be provided by the government owned Coal City shuttle buses.

According to Mr. Ugwoke, the bus services would operate in all parts of the state between half past six in the morning and to three in the afternoon.

He however added that the buses would only pick up students in school uniforms.

The Commissioner explained that government’s decision was in line with the administration of Governor Chime’s resolve to improve quality of education and make commuting for students much easier, more convenient and affordable.

He added that the governor has also approved over N238,355,761.00 (two hundred and thirty-eight million Naira) for the renovation and upgrading of infrastructure at the School of Health Technology, Oji River, and School of Public Health Nursing/Health Technology, Nsukka.

One hundred and twenty- one million Naira (N121,810,581.00) will cover construction of class rooms, administrative office, library, hostel blocks, water boreholes and ICT centre at the Oji River while over one hundred and sixteen million Naira (N116,545,180.00) would be spent for the same project at the school of Public Health Nursing, Nsukka through direct labour.

'The Moment' - independent Nigerian newspaper. 23 Jan 2012.

[Egunu State: Pop nearly 6 million. Ed]

Tallinn Offers Free Public Transportation to All Residents

Published: 11.01.2012

Tallinn Mayor Edgar Savisaar ( Photo: Postimees/Scanpix )

Tallinn Mayor Edgar Savisaar said the city is willing to make public transportation free for its residents in 2013, if taxpayers support the idea in a poll from March 19 to 25.

Currently, pensioners and children of families with financial difficulties are granted free bus rides in Tallinn, reported Õhtuleht. "Free fares would be useful for others in economic hardship, who could instead use the ticket money for a better meal," said Savisaar.

A three-member family could save up 650 euros per year, the mayor said.

The reform would also popularize travel by bus and reduce the number of cars, congestion and traffic accidents, he added.

Ingrid Teesalu

Estonian Public Broadcasting, 11 January 2012.

[Tallin is a major city in Estonia, with a population of 416,144. Editor]

Montenegro - Students demand free public transport

Montenegro - Students demand free public transport

Students walked from the Podgorica University campus to parliament carrying slogans "I do not want to party, I want a job" and "Do not tell me to shut up".

They are demanding lower tuition fees, improved conditions in student dormitories, quality instruction as required by the Bologna Process, free public transportation, as well as more government efforts to boost employment after graduation.

http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2011/11/21/feature-03

[Montenegro is a small nation in southeast Europe, next to Croatia & Albania. Pop 625,266. Ed]