12.03.2025
12:30-13:30
Almost Fare Free: Impact of a Cheap Public Transport Ticket on Mobility Patterns and Infrastructure Quality
WIFO Research Seminar
Organised by: Austrian Institute of Economic Research
Language: English
WIFO, Helene-Lieser-Saal or online via MS Teams
In 2022, Germany introduced a temporary 9 € monthly ticket for unlimited local and regional public transport. Liebensteiner and his colleagues investigate its impact on mobility patterns, including public transport usage, car traffic volume and rail network congestion.
Using difference-in-differences and event-study analyses with mobile network-based mobility, traffic volume and rail traffic data, they find limited substitution between transportation modes, a strong increase in leisure train journeys and adverse effects with respect to train delays. These effects dissipate after the ticket's expiration. Their study suggests caution regarding the expected mobility changes of fare-free "go-anywhere" public transport tickets, which are currently discussed in several countries.