Mayor Magnette: “What is needed is totally free public transport”

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In order to tackle the climate crisis, mayor of Charleroi Paul Magnette proposes that public transport becomes completely free.

Mayor Magnette stated: “What is needed is totally free public transport, including for the SNCB [national railway company]”.

A great step toward free public transport is happening in Wallonia where the subscription prices are already reduced by 70%.

If Belgian railway service became free, it would cost the country 700 million euros per year. Regarding this issue, mayor Magnette said: “That’s not a huge sum, it can easily be found. The 0.15% tax on trading accounts brings in 500 million euros a year. Raising it to 0.5% would more than provide the resources needed and, if in a first phase we limit it to the under-24s and over-65s, that would only cost 150 million. We need shock measures.”

Mayor Magnette is confident that free public transport should be included in a plan indicating how Belgium will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 that is to be presented at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) to be held from 31 October to 12 November in Glasgow, Scotland, reports Brussels Times.

He concluded: “Belgium needs to go to Glasgow with the recovery plan’s six billion euros, of which an important percentage is devoted to the environment,” the PS leader said. “We’re asking for 1.2 billion more to reach an investment curve leading to 3.5% of GDP by 2024.”

 

Photo credit: Belga