巴黎弱势群体的福利，让社会更有爱
Paris to Make Public Transport Free for Children

由专筑网苏一，李韧编译

巴黎将为所有11岁以下的儿童免费提供公共交通服务。如Le Parisien所述，2019年9月巴黎地区将推出新的特许经营权，包括为11岁以下的儿童免费提供乘坐地铁和巴士的服务，还包括为非国民和20岁以下残疾人提供免费旅行。此外，14至18岁的高中学生将获得50％的补贴，以及实现城市Vélib免费自行车计划。

该计划预计每年耗资1500万欧元（1700万美元），这只是该地区公共交通系统101亿欧元（115亿美元）年度预算的一小部分，但是能够使巴黎的公共交通变得更加实惠，使用也更加广泛。在2018年春季，该市还为中低收入的残疾公民和65岁以上的老人提供免费的年度旅行通行证。

Paris is set to make public transport free for all children under the age of 11. As detailed by Le Parisien, September 2019 will see new concessions rolled out across the Greater Paris region including free metro and bus travel for people under 11, including non-nationals, and free travel for people with disabilities under the age of 20. In addition, high school students between 14 and 18 will receive a 50% concession, as well as a free bike share account on the city’s Vélib scheme.
The scheme is expected to cost €15 million ($17 million) per year, only a fraction of the €10.1 billion ($11.5 billion) annual budget for the region’s public transport system, and is part of a broader strategy to make public transport more affordable for Parisians. In Spring 2018, the city also introduced free annual travel passes for low-to-medium income citizens with disabilities, and people over 65.



2018年3月，市政府人员Anne Hidalgo提出了可能采用完全免费公共交通系统的想法，此时该市对Vélib自行车计划的争议发生了变化。经过9个月的报告，市长办公室得出的结论是，该市无法满足对该系统的额外需求，该系统将会增加国家的经济花销。

卢森堡成为第一个免费提供所有公共交通的国家，几周之后这个计划得以公布，该计划将于2019年夏季开始实施，将提升火车、有轨电车和公共汽车的所有票价，缓解漫长的通勤时间和国家的碳足迹。

虽然免费公共交通的环境效益经常被吹捧为此类计划的主要动力，但布鲁塞尔自由大学的公共交通专家Wojciech Keblowshi却指出了它还具有社会效益。

Keblowshi在接受爱尔兰时报采访时解释说：“在降低票价的情况下，诸如失业者、老年人和没有客观收入的年轻人等群体的使用率大大增加。这座城市变得更加适合他们。他们可以找工作，并利用文化活动和机构而谋生。这种情况尤其存在于法国。”

图片：Shutterstock
新闻来源：Le Parisien / CityLab

The city’s mayor Anne Hidalgo had floated the possibility of a full free-fare public transport system in March 2018, at a time of unrest over controversial changes to the city’s Vélib bicycle scheme. Following a nine-month report, the Mayor’s office concluded that the city could not accommodate extra demand on the system, which would have increased from 36% of all journeys in the capital to 48%.
The announcement follows weeks after Luxembourg became the first country to make all of its public transportation free. Set to come into effect in the summer of 2019, the initiative will see all fares on trains, trams, and buses lifted in an effort to alleviate long commuting times and the country’s carbon footprint.
While the environmental benefits of free public transport are often touted as the main incentive for such a program, public transport expert Wojciech Keblowshi from the Free University Brussels points instead to the social benefits.
Speaking to The Irish Times, Keblowshi explains: “Use among vulnerable groups – the unemployed, the elderly and youths who do not have a middle-class income – increased dramatically when fares are abolished. The city becomes much more available to them. They can look for jobs and take advantage of cultural activities and institutions. That argument is especially present in the French context.”

News via: Le Parisien / CityLab