Free buses and trams in Montpellier

A nice early Christmas gift for all residents of the Montpellier metropolitan area who will benefit from free public transportation.

On December 21, 2023, at 7:00 PM, Montpellier Méditerranée Metropole will become the largest European metropolis to implement free public transportation for all its residents. The city hall aims to make the Montpellier Metropolitan area an exemplary territory of ecological and social transition and to show that another model is possible.

The communes involved in this highly symbolic and media-covered operation have taken steps toward full free access. Starting with weekends only for everyone since 2020, then the entire week for those under 18 and over 65 from September 2021.

Residents in the suburbs and tourists, however, will continue to pay for their transportation. The price is logically expected to increase, as a single ticket currently costs €1.60. The city hall claims to be able to fund 40% of the operation, while 60% will be covered by the Metropolis, and therefore by taxpayers. This remaining share of the public institution’s costs is still estimated at more than 40 million euros per year according to a report from the regional chamber of accounts of Occitanie! The elimination of numerous staff and technical ticket controls should lead to some savings, while major companies in the metropolis have already contributed through a dedicated mobility tax.

It will take at least a year to assess the results of this initiative. One thing is certain: going back is already impossible due to its cost and the disastrous image it would project. We can only hope that the quality of transportation does not suffer from its free access.

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