With the exchange of experiences and network of actors, the Chilean government aims to implement its Double Zero Transport Plan.
São Paulo, Brazil, 15 September 2022 - The financing of zero fares in public transport enables the social right to access cities in a more democratic way and significantly improves urban mobility. The Brazilian government has implemented these public policies in 46 cities with significant results. On 1 and 2 September, the governments of Brazil and Chile held the bilateral exchange Double Zero Dialogue: Zero Fare and Zero Emissions to share experiences and challenges on the issue.
This space was developed in the framework of the EUROCLIMA+ programme and the Urban Transformation Programme of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH. It counted on the cooperation of the Ministry of Regional Development (MDR) of Brazil and the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications (MTT) of Chile through the Regional Public Transport Directorate (DTPR) and the Roads and Urban Transport Programme, SECTRA.
The objective of the meeting was to transfer knowledge of the Brazilian experience on free fare policies in urban public transport to representatives of the Chilean government, which will serve to enable the implementation of double-zero transport policies in cities of similar scale with problems similar to those of their South American counterparts.
The dialogue was organised in collaboration with the Brazilian Institute of Consumer Protection (IDEC), the Institute of Socioeconomic Studies (INESC), the Pase Livre Movement (MPL), the Zero Tariff Movement BH and Rede Nossa BH (RNBH).
In addition to the organisers and representatives of the Brazilian and Chilean governments, the meeting was attended by the Inter-American Development Bank (BID), the Institute of Energy and Environment (IEMA), the Centro de Estudios da Metropole (CEM), the Salvador Mobility Observatory, as well as representatives of local governments, public transport companies, organisations and other public institutions in Brazil involved in zero fare policies.
How does the zero tariff work in Brazil
In the first part, the society's perspective of the 46 experiences with zero tariffs in Brazil was presented. Through a general overview -- which included financial mechanisms, regulatory changes, governance, operation model, social participation and communication--, the design and different degrees of implementation of public policies that seek to make the guarantee of the right to the city and its health, education and housing services, among others, more accessible were discussed.
On the other hand, representatives of the National Secretariat of Mobility and Urban Services (SNMDRU) of the Ministry of Regional Development showed the impact of collective public transport crises such as the loss of passengers and the increase in motorisation rates. In this regard, the zero fare is part of the strategies to improve public transport systems, which include modernising the operating model, improving competitiveness, as well as attracting investment.
The cities of Maricá/Rio de Janeiro, Caeté e Mariana/Minas Gerais, Garapuava/Santa Catarina and Cuiabá/Mato Grosso shared details on the implementation and operation of zero fare systems and the transition to electromobility. The first city operates 115 buses, 38 lines and 110 daily trips and, according to the Public Transport Company (EPT), Maricá will achieve zero transport emissions by 2030.
The impact of the zero tariff
Zero-tariff policies in Brazil have been implemented from 1997 to date. They are now widely supported and recognised for their social, environmental and economic benefits. Brazilian cities with full or partial zero fare systems have seen an increase in passenger demand, in some cases up to threefold. This implied efforts to create and diversify new sources of revenue. This also led to changes in the business model, no longer linked to the fare paid by users but to the costs associated with the operation of the transport system.
In addition to equity and social justice, other impacts were mentioned such as an increase in recreational and social activities, economic reactivation due to increased income, mobility and added value of the benefited areas.
Moreover, in the dialogue, some of the aspects to be improved in order to implement zero fare policies in transport were listed: emphasis was placed on the need to renew the governance design of the policy, both in its administration and its financing; the difficulty of measuring changes in passenger demand and distribution; strategies to face crises that affect transport demand, such as COVID-19; a formula to encourage the change of buses; among others.
Among the conclusions of the dialogues, emphasis was placed on the need to contribute to a decision-making process that considers financial mechanisms, regulatory changes, governance, operational model, social participation and communication. Decisions on zero-fare policy trials can be used to measure the effects on people's lives, the environment and the economy, including the reduction of diseconomies generated by systems with low affordability and high motorisation rate inducers.
Lessons learned
Through its Community of Practice, the EUROCLIMA+ programme generates spaces for experience exchanges that contribute to accelerating sustainable mobility initiatives. This dialogue brought together decision-makers and generated a dialogue to share knowledge and scale up climate actions in the transport sector.
Based on the experiences and studies presented, systematisation is strengthened to scale up double-zero fare policies that will contribute to achieving better results.
About EUROCLIMA+
EUROCLIMA+ is a programme funded by the European Union and co-financed by the German federal government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as by the governments of France and Spain through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
The Programme's mission is to reduce the impact of climate change and its effects in 18 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting mitigation, adaptation, resilience and climate investment. It is implemented according to the "Spirit of Team Europe" under the synergistic work of seven agencies: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Expertise France (EF), the International and Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH, and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
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