“You might want to delete this, Susan.”
“You ridiculous woman, nothing is free!” tweeted Susan Hall on X this week, responding to MP Zarah Sultana’s post calling for free public transport.
Sultana’s comment followed Keir Starmer’s announcement that Labour would freeze regulated rail fares until March 2027, the first freeze in 30 years, covering season tickets and most off-peak returns.
Hall’s post stirred a reaction. Users pointed out that the principle of “nothing is free” seems inconsistently applied in British politics.
Several highlighted that Hall herself had accepted complimentary hospitality in the form of annual business lunches and conference dinners, listed in public declarations of interest. Others resurfaced a 2018 tweet in which Hall praised Conservative achievements such as “free green gyms in the parks” and “free 30 mins parking,” hypocrisy some were quick to point out.
“You might want to delete this, Susan,” one user remarked.
But the mockery opened up a wider discussion: is free public transport really so outlandish?
Free transport already exists
Many users responded by citing places where the policy already functions. Luxembourg, Malta, Dunkirk, Tallinn, Montpellier, Clemson (USA), Mariehamn, and Cluj-Napoca all offer some form of free public transport. Far from being fringe experiments, these examples show that fare-free systems can work at scale.
Luxembourg is the most ambitious case. In 2020, aiming to cut carbon emissions and ease congestion, the country scrapped fares entirely for both residents and tourists. The policy covers the entire country and only first-class tickets still cost money.
Residents say the change makes it easier to choose public transport over driving.
“Since it’s free, it’s easier to make a decision quickly, to choose between public transport or private car,” accountant Edgar Bisenius told Euro News. “This means that it is very positive for the environment and practical.”
Financially, Luxembourg’s system was already heavily subsidised. Ticket sales previously brought in around €41 million a year, compared to the more than €500 million required to run the national network. That gap was, and remains, covered primarily by taxpayers, especially higher earners.
Malta followed suit in October 2022, offering free public transport to all residents who hold a personalised Tallinja card. Since the move, Malta has a record number of passengers have travelled on the service. In May 2023, 5.8 million passengers used public transport.
Susan Hall’s post may have been intended as a dismissal, but it ended up spotlighting a growing body of evidence that free public transport is neither fanciful nor unique, and that Zarah Sultana’s comment may not be as ‘ridiculous’ as the Conservative councillor insists it is.
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