Chapter 8 - Case study: Free public transport as instrument for energy savings and urban sustainable development—the case of the city of Tallinn

Abstract

Tallinn's fare-free public transportation (FFPT) for the residents of the city has been vital for over 6years, and there is no evidence of major setbacks. While expectations about political impact were high, the implementation if FFPT still did not demonstrate any significant change in this respect. The usage of public transport rose from 55% to 63%. Within Estonia's developed e-governance framework, the optimization of transport lines and costs has been taken place effectively. Pollution and emission levels in the city have not increased due to the stricter environmental requirements for vehicles and fuels, although the number of cars is continuously rising. As the satisfaction with FFPT transport services in Tallinn is rather high, also other municipalities of Estonia have started to implement the same concept in their transportation.