The possibility of providing free public transport to encourage commuters to swap their cars for buses will be one of several questions researched by economics students at the University of Malta this year. The research proposal, one of several presented by students at a seminar in Valletta this week, was prompted by the continuous rise in private car users and congestion and the detrimental results on the environment and economy. Zero-fare public transport has never been implemented on a nationwide basis but was introduced in the Estonian capital of Tallinn, which has a population only slightly smaller than Malta, three years ago. It has also been introduced in a number of individual towns and cities around the world. In Hasselt, Belgium, public transport use increased by 13 times since fares were removed in 1997. During the University of Malta seminar, the student behind the proposal noted that initial research into case studies overseas has shown that free public transport was responsible for other benefits such as a reduction in obesity from a more mobile public. The question will now be tackled in depth over the course of the year, incorporating secondary data and fresh...
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