Greenpeace’ ranking of public transport affordability in 30 European capitals has revealed it is too expensive in most cities and countries, especially in Dublin by far!
Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece and Norway scored worst in the ranking of national transport tickets, while Dublin, London, Paris and Amsterdam ranked worst for the capitals.
Greenpeace has urged governments to introduce affordable ‘climate tickets’ for all public transport, and for the European Commission to introduce a Europe-wide single climate ticket in the future.
The Irish capital is the only one in Europe without a ticketing system which allows you to access all forms of public transport.
Greenpeace EU transport campaigner Lorelei Limousin said: “Affordable public transport is a necessity, but many governments treat it like a luxury good. Millions of people rely on buses, trams and trains to get to work and school, to meet their families and friends, to participate in society in a sustainable way. Governments must introduce simple and affordable ‘climate tickets’ for public transport, to cut people’s bills and to reduce the oil use driving our planet towards climate disaster.”
Public transport tickets in the EU are taxed at an average of 11% VAT, which is still higher than many other basic services and necessities. Six EU countries currently tax public transport as much as jewellery or luxury watches. [2]
At the same time, the VAT on cross-border airline tickets in the EU is at 0% and kerosene for aeroplanes is also not taxed, which keeps the price of polluting transport low, while climate-friendly transport remains expensive.
Apart from Luxembourg and Malta, which made domestic public transport free, only Austria, Germany and Hungary have introduced relatively affordable nationwide tickets, costing less than €3 per day. Around two thirds of the countries analysed do not have country-wide long-term travel passes at all.
Country ranking: Luxembourg (#1), Malta (#2), Austria (#3), Germany (#4), Cyprus (#5), Spain (#6), Switzerland (#7), Hungary (#8), Netherlands (#9), Estonia (#10), Czech Republic (#11), Belgium (#12), Ireland (#13), Slovenia (#14), UK (#15), Denmark (#16), Portugal (#17), Sweden (#17), Poland (#19), Lithuania (#19), Finland (#21), France (#21), Italy (#21), Slovakia (#21), Romania (#25), Latvia (#26), Norway (#26), Greece (#28), Croatia (#28), Bulgaria (#30).
Capital city ranking: Tallinn (#1), Luxembourg (#1), Valletta (#1), Prague (#4), Bratislava (#5), Madrid (#6), Rome (#7), Vienna (#8), Athens (#9), Sofia (#10), Nicosia (#11), Warsaw (#12), Brussels (#13), Ljubljana (#14), Lisbon (#15), Budapest (#16), Riga (#17), Vilnius (#18), Bern (#19), Oslo (#20), Helsinki (#21), Zagreb (#22), Berlin (#23), Copenhagen (#24), Stockholm (#25), Bucharest (#26), Paris (#27), Amsterdam (#28), London (#29), Dublin (#30).
