by Zella Finch

Created on: June 04, 2008

I do not believe that public transportation should be free. Where will you find all the necessary buses to provide this new transportation? Who will pay for all the fuel that will be needed to put additional buses back on the road? Who is going to pay the salaries of the many drivers, mechanics and cleaners that will have to be hired. Who is going to pay for those older buses that have been stored, when many of us desided we no longer wanted to ride on public transportation, to be refurbished or to have new buses purchased? Don't forget the cost of the insurance on the buses, including the passengers and drivers In most communities where public transportation is available much of the funds come from your property taxes and a major portion comes from the federal government. It is highly unlikely that what money received from these two sources are going to cover all the cost that are involved. For years public transportation has offered monthly pass to it's riders which drastically reduces the far. If youare a senior or a person with disabilities this monthly pass is reduced by half. There are some communities that even offer free transportation to elderly and disabled but not many. You will find that you will save a great deal of money when you choose to ride as a passenger on a regular basis. You can relax and get some extra rest instead of fighting all that miserable traffic: read the newspaper or a book. There will be many new and interesting people to meet and become friends with. Your ride will be interesting and enjoyable. Now on to my next question. Where are all of the necessary buses coming from in order to cover the many new routes and all the people who will be riding? Will these buses be made in the United States by the many people who are looking for work by a US manufacture or will they come on a ship from overseas? I do not think public transportation should be free. When people get something for nothing it usually is appreciated and the people often expect more freebies. I lived in Michigan for years riding the buses in the Detroit and srounding area. My only means of transportation public transportation as I could not afford an automobile. I managed to get to and from the doctor/s offices, do all my shopping and much more. Yes, I had to do a little walking to get to the bus stop but helped me more than hurt me. I then moved to a rural area in Branch County, Michigan where the nearest city was about 7 miles away. I still had no car but I still had public transportation and I manages to get to town to do all my necessary shopping. I was happy to pay my fare and bus around. Today people are truly going to need public transportation and paying for it over driving a car will fit their pocketbook. I now live in Florida in an area where we have no public transportation. I would gladly pay if I could find some because it sure beats driving my car.

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