(REUTERS) — The mayor of Paris wants to make all public transport free in an effort to reduce air pollution, but faces staunch opposition from the head of the regional transport authority who said the move would hit taxpayers.
Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced plans late on Monday for a study into the feasibility of free city-wide transport, and told French daily Les Echos she wanted to debate the issue ahead of municipal elections in 2020.
Hidalgo said all the world’s big cities were trying to develop clean mobility and boost air quality by reducing the number of cars on the roads, a goal that requires making public transport more attractive.
