Public transport revolution in Erlangen: Free bus travel since January
The university city in Middle Franconia has been offering free public transport in the city centre since the turn of the year. A new bus route and the switch to e-buses are also part of the pilot project. Erlangen wants to reduce the number of cars, make public transport more attractive and improve air quality. This would enable the city to avoid the threat of driving bans in view of the EU's new air pollution limits.
Since the beginning of the year, the Middle Franconian city of Erlangen in Bavaria has been offering free bus transport in the city centre. The measure costs the city council around 300,000 euros per year. The pilot project is planned to run for 3 years.
The aim of the project is to reduce the number of cars in the city centre and make public transport as attractive as possible. The aim is to make the city centre more liveable and reduce air pollution.
Although Erlangen does not currently have a low emission zone, air pollution is still a problem here as traffic volumes continue to rise. This measure makes sense, especially in view of the new EU limit values, according to which the air in European cities must be significantly cleaner in order to be harmless to health.
The city is also taking a decisive step towards climate neutrality. A new bus route has been introduced, which is to be operated with electric buses in future. This line connects central points in the city centre, such as the large car park at the main railway station, the old town and important clinics. These efforts are being supported by federal funding totalling 1.8 million euros. This financial support shows that the federal government recognises and supports the city of Erlangen's project to improve the quality of life of its residents and achieve climate neutrality.
Erlangen is not the only city to have introduced free public transport. In fact, it is following the example of other cities and countries around the world that have adopted similar measures. Luxembourg was the first country to introduce free public transport in 2020. In Germany, Pfaffenhofen and Augsburg already offer a similar concept.
This trend shows that cities and municipalities are increasingly recognising the need to improve their transport systems while minimising their environmental impact. Free public transport is an effective way to achieve this by encouraging people to leave their cars at home and use public transport instead.
Erlangen's initiative is a progressive example of how cities can take proactive measures to improve the quality of life of their residents while reducing their environmental impact. It remains to be seen what impact this measure will have in the long term and how much the service will be utilised. Nevertheless, it is encouraging to see that cities like Erlangen are willing to take these steps to protect their environment while improving the comfort and convenience of their residents. It is to be hoped that other cities will follow suit.