Capitalists terrified of #freepublictransport

Beijing unlikely to offer free bus rides on smog days- China.org.cn: "A Beijing traffic management official has ruled out offering free bus rides for residents on bad air quality days.
The free ride proposal has been floated for sometime as a way to discourage Beijingers from driving cars -- a contributor to the city's air pollution."

When Paris turned to free public transport to fight pollution, it seemed like an obvious step. Now they have decided it is "too expensive." But what they don't tell you is that fare-free public transport actually saves money. It's just a matter of looking at the bigger picture.

The costs of cars:

• noise
• stress
• congestion
• parking
• pollution
• collisions
• police costs
• fuel costs
• road repair
• pedestrian risk
• on and on....

are reduced by much more than the lost amount of fares. And where does the "lost" fare money go? Into the pockets of common people who then spend it and stimulate the economy.

So, what is the problem?

The problem is that fare-free public transport gives people the idea of living without cars. This would be a disaster for capitalism. Cars are needed for economic growth. Cars encourage people to sprawl out and have children. This is growth that capitalism needs just as a cancer tumor needs blood.

China aims for 30% #publictransit use by 2020

EMTV Online: "As well as capping industrial emissions, China would raise the share of public transport to 30 percent of total traffic in major cities by 2020 and promote cleaner, more efficient fuels, the new plan said."