FREE FARE PUBLIC TRANSPORT AS A DETERMINATE ON PUPILS TRAVEL BEHAVIOR AND PREFERENCES IN THEIR DAILY TRAVELS TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY – THE CASE OF GDYNIA (POLAND)

Abstract

The concept of influencing changes in transport behavior towards sustainable mobility, which is gaining popularity in the 21st century, is free public transport (FFPT). It is estimated that the number of cities in which attempts were made to introduce FFPT exceeds 100. Most of them are located in Europe, especially in France and Poland. FFPT has mostly been restricted to specific city areas or market segments in the hope of increasing demand for public transport services. Because of this, a number of publications on free fare results refer to specific cases in cities. The main aim of this article is to examine the impact of free fares on the behavior and transport preferences of pupils in Gdynia, Poland. On the basis of the study of preferences and transport behavior of the inhabitants of Gdynia, carried out earlier by the team in 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2018, a preliminary description of the behavior and transport preferences of students was prepared. The research of the pupils was conducted twice: before and after the introduction of free travel entitlements. The results of the research carried out, and the data analysis, confirmed that FFPT had no impact on demand for public transport services or the travel behavior of pupils. According to the authors, the lack of positive effects of FFPT on travel behavior in the segment of students, or even more broadly, for achieving the purposes of sustainable mobility, results from the interaction of the following factors: specificity of students' travel behavior determined by the schedule of school activities, pupils' positive attitude to cars as urban transport means, not covering all means of public transport services of FFPT in Gdynia (the city rail is not covered by FFPT), short period of time since FFPT has been introduced. The results of the presented studies could not be verified due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors emphasize that before introducing FFPT, politicians should rely on the analysis of anticipated changes in the behavior of residents and the impact of FFPT on the economy of public transport, sustainable mobility goals and political and social results. This article complements the current knowledge on the results related to the introduction of FFPT for a selected group of residents.