Fare-free service doubles ridership, 25 more buses ordered

1/4 The Lubin county in Lower Silesia in Poland with 100k residents is the largest of 25+ Polish localities with free public transport. Since the fares have been abolished in 2014, the number of trips increased from 6 to 13 million per year (Gold Coast Light Rail: 9.5m in 2018).
2/4 In 2016 Lubin had a budget of 114m AUD and spent 10m AUD on public transport (8.7%). The city uses about 50 buses. This 2016 video report by Niskopodlogowiec describes the network in detail: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ykPxsOOJbTk… (English Subtitles)
3/4 Despite the scepticism of the author of the 2016 video, the free public transport is doing well in Lubin: in 2019 the operator of the network, PKS Lubin SA, signed a 11m AUD (50% EU funded) contract for 25 low floor hybrid CNG buses made by MAN Poland:
https://www.lubin.pl/podpisano-umowe-na-nowe-autobusy-beda-wozic-lubinian-od-wrzesnia/
4/4 ... and the local government signed agreements with the neighbouring Polkowice and Chocianów to extend the free transport there: https://www.transport-publiczny.pl/wiadomosci/bezplatne-autobusy-z-lubina-pojada-do-polkowic-60384.html

https://twitter.com/TomaszAndraszek/status/1215832397024911360