Equality and growth Fare free public transport in Avesta municipality Lars Isacsson, Mayor, Avesta municipality

We promise! Before the election in 2010 political parties S, V and MP promised to realise fare free public transport for children and youths. Before the local Election in 2010, the combined political parties (V, MP och S) promised fare-free public transport. V and MP had a background of polices including fare-free public transport, though the largest party S were afraid that they couldn’t live up to the economic consequences and therefore promised ”only” fare-free for children and youths.

Three alternatives were compared Unchanged services Fare free for children and youths – all year round Fare free for everyone After the Election three different alternatives were compared: 1: Continue with unchanged services. The costs are about 23.6 million SEK, including school bus services. 2: Free services for children and youths all year long. The costs were calculated to 31.8 million SEK. 3: Free services for all people, and this was actually a very low cost of only 23.7 million SEK, or only 20 000SEK more than alternative one.

Costs – Million (SEK) After the Election three different alternatives were compared: 1: Continue with unchanged services. The costs are about 23.6 million SEK, including school bus services. 2: Free services for children and youths all year long. The costs were calculated to 31.8 million SEK. 3: Free services for all people, and this was actually a very low cost of only 23.7 million SEK, or only 20 000SEK more than alternative one.

How is this possible? Our geography Our demographic development The facts sounded to good to be true!! The answer lies in Avesta’s geography and demographic development. This means that we drive many children in the Municipality by school bus services as the schools are not located where the main concentrations of children live. Primary schools

The costs of school bus passes compared to ticket revenue = About 1000 of the 4000 school children received a school bus pass for a cost of 4.7 million SEK per year. At the same time the Municipality received 4.6 million SEK per year in ticket revenue. The result was a balance of the costs and the revenues. Before the politicians decided to adapt fare-free public transport it was necessary to look at the pros and cons. Cost of bus passes 4.7 Million (SEK) Ticket revenue 4.6 Million (SEK)

Let’s try! Fare free buses within the municipality borders – for all travellers Two-year trial The Regional Operator Dalatrafik and Region Dalarna (public transport authority) gave the municipality a positive decision to carry out a testperiod with fare-free transportation for 2 years, between June 2012 and June 2014.

What we hoped to achieve More bus travellers Less administration More effective use of existing traffic Equality Reduced CO2 emissions • More bus travellers by making it easy and cheap for people to choose the bus. • Less adminitration as the Municipality no longer need to handle school bus passes. More effective use of existing traffic – No more empty buses! Equality – By abandoning the zone-system within the Municipality, which made it more expensive to travel by bus than by car for those living far from town. • Reduced CO2 emissions – as a result of more people choosing the bus over the car

Our fears (problem vi trodde kunde uppstå) Increased ”wear and tear” Overcrowded buses Buses used as place to spend time

One disadvantage (?) Problem: Overcrowded buses Results after year one One disadvantage (?) Problem: Overcrowded buses Solution: Doubling of buses on certain routes and times Consequence: Increased costs, about 2.7 Million (SEK) In April 2012, a month before the fare-free transportation system was introduced, we carried out a travel survey where we asked 450 people about their main mode of transport. In April 2013, we have carried out a follow-up study. We have added two extra buses in order to manage the increase in passengers. This means we pay about 2 million SEK extra for this fare-free transportation system. However we also have a new bus service that we previously couldn’t have kept when no one was using it. But after the year one evaluation it became clear that the only true disadvantage was overcrowded buses – which forced us to doubling of buses on certain routes and times. The consequence was increased cost. But is this really a disadvantage? This is what we wanted! We wanted more people travelling by bus.

Increased number of travellers Results after year one Increased number of travellers 80 procentig ökning av bussresandet, Resandet med tätortstrafiken har mer än fördubblats jämfört med innan införandet av avgiftsfria resor. Det är främst arbets- och skolpendlare som ökat sitt resande med buss. Även i jämförelse med andra kommuner som har eller har haft avgiftsfri kollektivtrafik är resandeökningen stor.

More people choosing the bus Results after year one More people choosing the bus Based on traveler statistics and the results of interviews with bus travelers RAMBÖLL performed, the reduction in the number of car journeys have been assessed. According to the recent survey, 35 % - every three new bus trip - which is a previous trip by car. Resandeökningen består i huvudsak av tidigare bussresenärer som reser mer med buss, men även helt nya bussresenärer. 39 procent av bussresorna har ersatt en tidigare bilresa och 22 procent en tidigare gång- eller cykelresa. Utvärderingen av det första året med gratisbussar visar att ca 110 000 bilresor

Environmental benefits Results after year one Environmental benefits CO2 emissions reduced by 40 tonnes per year Overall, traffic reduction, a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 700 kg of CO2 per year while bus service gives rise to an increase of 35 kg / year - a net decrease then with 665 kg / year. Then assumed the car let out 2 grams of CO2 per kilometer and bus 1.4 grams per kilometer.

Social benefits People … Those were the hard facts – the numbers. But we’ve also seen some great social benefits! Some examples: People get together - easier for the elderly with limited economy to “get out of the house” and meet for example Easier for our inhabitants to access services/places in our municipality – inte minst för våra invandrare som kan ta bussen till svenskaundervisningen t ex. Avstånden och hindren krymper – underlättar integrationen. Förskolegrupper kan röra sig och besöka bibliotek, pulkabacke mm.

Let’s make it permanent! The advantages outweighed the disadvantages. After the two-year trial we decided that public transport by bus should continue to be fare free into the future.

Number of travellers still increasing

Other positive effects FFPT puts Avesta on the map Makes Avesta an attractive place to live A contributing factor to population growth

Population growth Sussanna! Justera siffrorna för år 2006-2014 (jag har bara gått efter visuell bedömning av ett annat diagram – hade inga siffor)

Thank you!