The communist youth movement in Switzerland, Jeunes PoP, associated with the Swiss Party of Labour, has initiated a campaign demanding free public transport in the country. The major objective of the campaign is to tackle climate change by reducing emissions from private transport, and providing youths, families and retirees easy access to public transport facilities. Toward this demand, units of the youth group launched campaigns across different Swiss cities and also initiated an online petition called Free TPG Petition.
Jeunes PoP stated that “the climate emergency calls for a social and economic paradigm shift. Individual transport accounts for 29% of CO2 emissions in Switzerland and has been stable for around ten years. Free public transport contributes to a structural change in our transport model, by developing the economy of the commons and free services”.
“In addition, the price of transportation can burden the budget of families, young people and retirees. This project provides an air bubble for a large part of the population,” the group claimed.
As per reports, Jeunes PoP’s Fribourg committee has already collected 755 signatures in favor of free public transport for students, apprentices and those under the age of 25, which have been submitted to the State Chancellory of Fribourg on Wednesday, November 27. Similar campaigns are also underway in Switzerland’s other cantons, including Geneva.
