Germany Is Cutting Pollution With Free Public Transportation
Many large German cities have long had pedestrian-only zones in a bid to cut down on air pollution and create a calm and clean athmosphere for people to enjoy. Now, German ministers are taking this initiative a step further and have recently announced that they will be testing 100 percent free public transport in five different cities to further reduce pollution from private cars.
In a letter written to the Environmental Commissioner of the EU, German legislators wrote: “We are considering public transport free of charge in order to reduce the number of private cars. Effectively fighting air pollution without any further unnecessary delays is of the highest priority for Germany.”
The initiative will launch no later than at the end of 2018 in cities such as Bonn, Essen, and Mannheim. Should the plan prove successful, Germany will expand the program and start updating and improving public infrastructure to support the increased transit capacity.
German legislators are also planning on tightening emission restrictions for cabs and buses; implementing more tax breaks for low-emission vehicles and encouraging carpool schemes.
All of these tactics will hopefully help the nation achieve the environmental goals set by the Paris Agreement and make Germany a greener and healthier country to live in.
