VERAL different approaches being made on the Itinent to the
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problem of ting more commuters to use )lic transport. The methods ■ sen range from penalising vate motorists to privilege sons at rates which amount no more than a token rment.
U.1 eight-month experiment :h ultra-low price season :Cats is coming to an uspicious conclusion in the oenchen-Gladbach, Viersen I Duisberg region of West rmany. Preliminary results the scheme, which was anced by the government of rth Rhine-Westphalia, are eady being evaluated to show iclusively that low fares Yne will not woo the car mmuter.
In the German scheme 10,000 .ployees in eight large lustrial enterprises were ered monthly season tickets DM 12 (approx £2.10). This ket, for unlimited use during e period of validity, entitled
holder to travel at a rate me 60 to 75 per cent below rmal fares or, in German .minology, at something proaching a " null tariff." Of e test sample about 1,300 were ;tiler car users to work. Less an 14 per cent (176 persons) ak up the "special offer," only 1. per cent bought the tickets r the entire period.
The closely monitored periment in a society affected
• short-time working and her unemployment has ovided data to disprove the eurring demand by certain essure groups for free travel. preliminary comment by the o.V. (German Public Transport ;sociation) emphasises that en a drastic fares reduction :11 not, on its own, induce ,ople to abandon their usual cans of transport. Conversely Ins are that users would pay creased fares if the quality of rvice and equipment were ised commensurately. Viennese charm turned to rath when new " clear the ads" plans proposed doubled e tax for private cars gistered in the city. This ould cost motorists an extra Ito 100 A.Shillings (l.50L50) a month but would, in