Ever since Brexit, I often feel jealous of our European neighbours when it comes to travel.
After all, for the most part they have the privileges which we used to enjoy: crossing borders with zero red tape; enjoying stays of however long they like (none of this “90 days in 180 days” nonsense); the ability to travel on a passport up to the day it expires; no mobile roaming charges. (It doesn’t help my mood, either, that we gave up all of these perks by choice.)
But I’m experiencing a renewed spike of envy this week, sparked by several countries’ innovative policies aimed at getting more people using public transport and helping alleviate the sting of the cost of living crisis.
As one scheme ended, another began. Germany’s programme – which allowed unlimited travel on regional trains, trams, buses and even some river ferries for just €9 a month during June, July and August – was hailed a roaring success, with 52 million tickets sold and an estimated 1.8 million tons of carbon saved.
This is the very point in the climate crisis at which we need to be encouraging more people to swap cars and planes for public transport, and there is less than zero incentive to do so
Meanwhile, the day after the German experiment finished, Spain launched its own version: free train travel for season ticket holders on numerous journeys. The scheme, running from 1 September until the end of December and aimed squarely at Spanish commuters, allows complimentary multi-ticket trips on Cercanías and Rodalies commuter trains and regional journeys of less than 300km on Media Distancia trains.
And get this: when first introducing the idea of the four-month venture, Spanish Prime minister Pedro Sánchez said: “I am fully aware of the daily difficulties that most people face.
“I know that your salary is getting less and less, that it is difficult to make ends meet, and that your shopping basket is becoming more and more expensive.
“I am going to work my skin to the bone to defend the working class of this country.”
Imagine hearing someone in a position of power promising to actually help people struggling to survive amid the present cost of living crisis – and then seeing them follow through with a tangible policy designed to ease that financial burden. In the UK, as Boris finally steps down (adding insult to injury by suggesting that buying a new kettle could solve our energy woes) and his successors continue with their political posturing, we can only dream of…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…