In Jakarta, thousands of blue and white minibuses provide essential public transportation, alleviating traffic congestion in a city of 11 million. The minibuses contribute to reducing pollution and road accidents, which are global issues causing around two million deaths annually. Many cities are exploring alternatives to traditional road expansion to tackle traffic problems. For instance, Tallinn has implemented free public transportation; however, it has seen a decline in ridership and a rise in car use, demonstrating the complexities of encouraging public transport use.
Globally, air pollution and road accidents from cars, vans and motorbikes kill around two million people each year, and combustion engine vehicles churn out around 10% of the global carbon emissions causing climate change.
In a bid for safer, decongested roads and cleaner air, some cities and countries are trying to get their citizens to ditch cars in favor of public transport.
Estonia's capital Tallinn made public transport free for locals in 2013, but mixed results showed that ridership fell dramatically and car use increased by 5%.
Merlin Rehema noted, 'People who were using public transport anyways, are now using it more often... short walks and bicycle trips that were taken before also became bus trips.'
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