According to the Portuguese Environmental Association Zero, public transportation in Portugal must adapt to the remote work trend and offer easier, cheaper, and more flexible fare alternatives.
Zero is proposing the public transportation system adopt six measures to “strengthen the attractiveness of the pass system for employers and individual citizens”.
They propose a hybrid fare for work with the implementation of a fare/pass that includes five, 10, or 15 days of use to choose from during the month, with prices varying according to the number of days.
In their press release, they suggested a system to cap travel costs, ensuring that passengers do not pay more than a certain amount for their journeys.
“This system would allow occasional users of public transport to pay no more than a certain amount, which could be daily, weekly or monthly, allowing them to use all public transport during these periods,” explains the association.
Zero mentioned a ‘pass + car parking’ scheme that could be used in any car park around the cities, as well as the creation of a single monthly pass allowing general access to public transport available throughout the country.
The environmentalists also propose a discount when using public transport outside of rush hour.
Their final measure is creating “collaborative partnerships between transport authorities and co-working spaces, which would include the possibility of establishing a type of pass to be purchased by employers to distribute among workers, combining public transport with access to a co-working center close to their home”.
