Luxembourg to become first country in the world to make all public transport free
- Government seeks to prioritise environment and end some of world’s worst traffic congestion
- A study suggested that drivers in the capital spent an average of 33 hours in traffic jams in 2016
Luxembourg is set to become the first country in the world to make all its public transport free.
Fares on trains, trams and buses will be lifted next summer under the plans of the re-elected coalition government led by Xavier Bettel, who was sworn in for a second term as prime minister on Wednesday.
Bettel, whose Democratic party will form a government with the left-wing Socialist Workers’ party and the Greens, had vowed to prioritise the environment during the recent election campaign.
On top of the transport pledge, the new government is also considering legalising cannabis, and introducing two new public holidays.
Luxembourg City, the capital of the small Grand Duchy, suffers from some of the worst traffic congestion in the world.
It is home to about 110,000 people, but a further 400,000 commute into the city to work.
A study suggested that drivers in the capital spent an average of 33 hours in traffic jams in 2016.
