by J Mock

Created on: September 14, 2008

Public transportation is a service aimed at providing a means of travel for the general population. The term "public" indicates that the transport is available to everyone, yet the cost of a ticket for travel by rail or coach can still prove to be too expensive and a non-viable option for a high proportion of travelers.

Society is encouraged to use public transport as an alternative to automobiles, to ease congestion and pollution within urban areas, but the companies that operate public transportation endeavor to make a profit.

To increase the viability of rail and bus travel, the only two practical options are for companies to operate as non-profit, thus reducing ticket prices to a minimum and making the alternative more affordable to the public, or a more positive outlook would be to provide a completely free service.

The only technical hindrance with any free service is with determining the "who" and the "how" of subsidization. The cost will need to be recouped, and this will most probably be through an increase in a payable tax, although the potential benefits of free travel could be significant.

Park and ride schemes are becoming increasingly popular in towns and cities. Encouraged by local authorities, commuters travel to the outskirts of the town, park their cars, and then ride by bus into the town. This eases both the level of pollution and the road congestion, and saves time for the commuter, who would otherwise queue in traffic during the "rush hour. Not a free service, but many drivers view the use of park and ride as beneficial and the cost tolerable.

If the transportation were to be operated at no cost to the public, then it is acceptable to assume that the number of users would increase considerably. This would allow for the pedestrianization of the main shopping streets and precincts and traffic through the adjoining streets would be limited. A lower number of vehicles would be a positive step towards decreasing the effects of humans interaction with the environment.

A free service that operates on a regular schedule, at frequent intervals for people to travel from point A to point B. Hardened fans of automobiles may be initially sceptical of using a bus, or the underground for their daily commute to work, but with the rising costs of living and fuel prices, no cost and no delays in traffic is a practical solution, and the benefits are clearly self evident.

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