Training the masses

Some urbanites said they even switched to public transport regularly for the first time.

- CATHRIN SCHAER

If we all took the bus, could we stop climate change and all the extreme weather that comes with it?

At first glance, the answer seems to be yes. Forget about cow farts. Driving around in your own car is one of the world’s biggest polluters after flying. And, as many environmental activists have repeatedly said, that’s why public transport could save the world. It’s an obvious solution that many of us still tend to ignore.

That’s why Germany’s recent experiment with the so-called “Deutschlandticket” is so interesting.

Last year, after Russia invaded Ukraine and set off a cascade of rising energy prices, Germany offered its citizens a subsidised ticket for all public transport.

From June to August last year, locals could ride buses, trains and trams between neighbourhoods, towns or cities for just €9 ($15) a month. Alongside 10 million automatic subscriptions to the monthly ticket, 52 million of the fares were sold.

The exercise cost the German government about €2.5 billion ($4.2 billion) to finance and, according to transport authorities, also saved around 1.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.