Kostenloser ÖPNV: Akzeptanz in der Bevölkerung und mögliche Auswirkungen auf das Mobilitätsverhalten
Even today, car traffic still dominates the traffic volume in Germany. A frequently discussed proposal to change this is to offer local public transport free of charge. Based on a survey from 2018, in which nearly 7000 heads of households of the forsa household panel provide answers to their mobility behavior and their attitudes towards much-discussed transport measures, this article examines the general approval of free use of public transport and the possible effects of this measure on mobility behavior. The results show a strong support for the measure: about 72% of the respondents voted in favor of the introduction of free public transport. The majority agrees in every social group, whether male or female, young or old, poor or rich, and in all political camps. After the introduction of free public transport in Germany, respondents said that they would increase the number of trips they make with public transport by an average of about 230%. Although the answers are purely hypothetical and should therefore be viewed with some caution, they indicate a relatively strong potential increase in public transport use. Finally, we discuss why it still does not seem sensible to offer public transport free of charge and which alternative policies seem more promising.
Andor, M., L. Fink, M. Frondel, A. Gerster and M. Horvath (2021), Kostenloser ÖPNV: Akzeptanz in der Bevölkerung und mögliche Auswirkungen auf das Mobilitätsverhalten. List Forum für Wirtschafts- und Finanzpolitik, 46, 299-325