There is another thread about tickets being checked on some transportation systems which led to a discussion on free public transportation for seniors.
I'm headed back to Prague today where public transportation for those over 65 is free. I think back to my last trip and I tended to hop on a tram because it was free rather than walk the same distance.
So my question is this...if public transportation where you are going is free, would you tend to take it more than walk if both were available?
For me it depends on how far I’m going and how much walking I’m doing.
I was Prague this year with a Rick Steves Prague/Budapest tour. We used it our first and last day, but otherwise, I just walked all over the main part of the city without using it because I love to explore.
When I’m in Paris, I buy the weekly metro pass and used it a lot. In that case, I really like the Luxembourg Garden, so several times during the week, i would take a break and head over there to relax. That city’s probably the closest example for me that once it’s free, I definitely use it.
I do have free public transport as I’m a 60+ person living in Greater London. I do what suits me - drive, take the bus to the Tube into central London and walk or bus depending on where I’m going, how long it will take and how energetic I’m feeling. Huge perk much loved by older Londoners!
I think of local public transit as such a minor cost, that I give fares so little consideration. It isn't an either/or choice for me as I rely on both transit and walking. Convenience, time and frequency matter far more than the actual cost. In Prague I had a stop right outside my hotel and merely purchased two 72 hour passes and two baggage tickets, was just done with it and paid little attention to fares or tickets afterwards. Total $34 and in the scheme of expenses across six days absolutely trivial. In London I usually hit daily caps early in the day, but the several tube stations are each half a mile from my hotel.
Well, in cases where I have a pass that includes public transport, for a day, a week, a month, I tend to be more liberal with using it.
I might decide to hop on and explore some area I had no plans to, or take it for a mile or so (maybe even a few blocks, if handy) to lessen the walking. I tend to be a bit cheap, so will opt to walk rather than buy a ticket. So if it were free in an area, certainly I would use it more.
With free public transport, I would probably hop on spontaneously more often. Especially when a tram is already standing at the stop and I still have quite a stretch ahead of me. Wait specifically for a connection I wouldn't for a short distance, though.
In cities like Vienna, I gladly walk even longer distances on foot. In doing so, one after all often gets through streets that one wouldn't see at all with the subway. After a couple of hours on foot, I then mostly have had enough, though. Then I also take the tram sometimes, even for a few euros.
Sometimes taking public transport involves more walking and time than just simply walking to your destination.
I agree with Andrea. A lot depends on how far I'm going and how much walking there is, but it also depends on how easy it is to access.
But having said that, I do like to walk and I walked a lot in Budapest where public transportation was free. So the fact that it's free doesn't make a huge difference to me.
I will say that if it was very expensive, I would probably be less inclined to take public transportation.
I walked a lot in Paris even when I had the weekly pass. More to see and I didn't grow up using public transportation so walking is more relaxing to me.
Nothing is free.
We have "free" public transportation for all in my college town in the US. Of course, it is not really free being paid for by the taxpayers and also subsidized by the local university. We use it occasionally. It is nice to have but not as useful as it could be due to routes and schedules. But then a more extensive system would cost a lot more so I guess this is a reasonable compromise.
It depends where I am, ie, in which city.
In Paris no effect at all. I do a lot of walking in Paris but also use the bus and Metro whenever I want since my 3 Navigo cards are always loaded up. In other French cities free public transport would certainly help as an extra option. Likewise in German cities, such as Hamburg, Munich, Leipzig, Kiel, etc
why did "were" - subjunctive - become "was" - past ?
I liked it the way it was...
"Getting your bus pass" is a euphemism for reaching retirement age in British English. I'm not quite there yet, but I sure do feel it! :)
