The Cost of a Bus Ride
Would you like to ride Kamloops’ buses without paying? Do you think it’s even possible? What advantages and disadvantages might free transit have? Zohran Mamdani, New York’s new Mayor, promoted free transit during the election campaign. Many people thought it was a great idea… but not everyone.
You might be surprised to learn that over 100 cities across the world have free transit. Most are in the US, Brazil and European countries such as Poland and France. In 2020, Luxembourg became the first country in the world where all public transit is free (except first class seats on trains).
Most cities with free transit are smallish, compared to the mega cities of Paris, London, or New York. Dunkirk, France is a good example of a place with free transit, where many citizens, as well as various independent researchers confirm that it is highly successful. Dunkirk residents are taking more trips to the city centre and about 50% of new riders are riding the bus to places they would previously have accessed by car. It has been shown that free transit reduces carbon emissions, pollution, and traffic and helps low-income households in a myriad of ways. Data shows that 10% of Dunkirk riders have sold their cars, and use of city parking lots is down by 30%.
Only slightly larger than Kamloops, Dunkirk (population 200,000) has had free transit since 2018. Of course, it didn’t happen overnight. The process began in 2014 and involved surveying residents, reworking timetables, repositioning bus stops, and improving the quality, number and cleanliness of buses. The city also invested substantially in publicity and education and carried out various pilot programs before launching fully free rides in 2018: seven days a week on 150 buses across 18 routes. Since then, the number of bus riders has increased by 165%.
Some argue that a system that relies on government subsidies (sometimes via small tax on business or citizens, as in France) rather than passenger fares is better equipped to weather storms such as the COVID pandemic. However, others say that policies like this have a high cost, and they may not scale up well to large cities like New York. Loss of revenue from fares may result in deterioration of infrastructure, especially if demand on the transit system increases dramatically. Furthermore, in some places, it appears that the introduction of free transit has led to an increase in short trips—which were previously accomplished by walking or cycling—so at the expense of alternative active transport. In contrast, in Lyon, France, a fare increase produced revenue that was used to pay for a wider range of transportation services, which also reduced car traffic.
In Dunkirk, politicians defend the funds spent on free transit (about 3.4% of the city’s annual budget) for many reasons, among them that it is a social investment in its citizens—which has reduced crime. During the 2020 municipal election, 99% of survey respondents ranked free transit as the city’s most important public policy.
So what do you think? Could/should we have free transit in Kamloops—for all of us, everyday?
By the way, at a meeting of the Committee of the Whole on January 20, City Councillors will be making recommendations about the 2026 City Budget—including its commitment to transit. Let’s hope they are willing to at least ensure the current levels of service—or even better, the expansion that the Province has indicated it will support. You can email councillors to voice your opinion on this!
Transition Kamloops
Transition Kamloops is a volunteer-driven, registered not-for-profit society focused on increasing local resilience and self-sufficiency in food, water, energy, culture and wellness. We emphasize a local economy, healthy ecosystems, and grassroots community building, while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. We believe in a better way: a community that sustains life in all its diversity, strives for equality and justice and invests in the future.
Transition Kamloops recognizes that we are living on Secwépemcul’ecw—land that was never ceded to settlers, and continues to be home to vibrant Indigenous cultures, languages, and traditions. We acknowledge the impact of colonization, forced displacement, and ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous peoples. We commit to listening, learning, and building positive relationships with Indigenous communities as we work towards reconciliation.
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