In November, the people of Victoria will vote in a state election, and the opposition may get their chance to rule things because they promised something that people are long waiting for – free public transport.
They plan to let 260,000 people ride for free in public transport until 2026 as part of their plan to win the elections, and they are backing this by explaining that the Australian society owes a lot to healthcare workers. They’ve been working too much over the last three years, and it’s time for the government to give them back something.
Healthcare workers in Victoria will save up to $1,800 per year
According to their calculation, healthcare workers will save up to $1,800 per year if the plan to let them ride in public transport for free is implemented. During the total period when this will be available, people will be able to save up to $7,200, which is truly a significant amount.
Many nurses and doctors travel from zone one to zone two in Melbourne’s city transport, and they often need to carry so many things with them. When they realize they need to carry a load of items, they’d rather choose their personal vehicle, which also pollutes the cities.
Not everyone drives an oversized aluminium storage box UTE or a truck that pollutes significantly, but every vehicle on the street should be taken away if possible. This initiative should incentivize healthcare workers to take public transport and get to work safely.
New Zealand also implements novelties
The transport minister of New Zealand, Michael Wood, announced that they are touting a new framework that allows the councils more flexibility when making decisions about workers’ pay and conditions.
According to their words, they are planning on implementing sustainable public transport. Everything will be in the hands of the council, which means the main government will take their hands off and allow the council to make all the decisions because they are the ones that know what’s best for the workers.
The importance of going green
It’s not just a world trend for preserving nature and incentivizing people to use more public transport rather than their own vehicles. It is a need that everyone is aware of that must be put to practice because the entire planet is in danger.
The global warming issue is directly linked to everyone’s need to commute to work or anywhere else and to do it with a private vehicle rather than public transport. The gas emissions are huge when we look at them on a global level, and we all need to do something about it.
A bus will emit way less CO2 in the air for transporting 50 people from one place to another compared to 30-50 vehicles which people usually need for the same thing if they are not using public transport.
By letting some people ride the buses and trains for free, we will see a great relief in pollution, but put some weight on the budget. Still, when we compare both, one can be sure that the benefits are enormous, and we only have benefited from something like this.
Everyone in the world should follow this example
Many countries already implement this in their larger cities, but this should become a common practice. The budget won’t lose too much by having nurses and doctors riding public transport for free, and the planet will be thankful.
Transforming public transport and introducing more green vehicles is also something to think about. All councils and governments should pay more attention to creating a sustainable and green fleet of vehicles that will waste less gas and cause nearly no pollution.
This is possible if we put our minds to it. Governments worldwide deal with things that are not the main priority, and we should all force them to pay attention to the most critical issues around us, which are destroying the planet.
Chopping down forests and emitting more and more CO2 into the atmosphere are constantly moving the planet’s ecosystem towards a disaster. We are moving to a new Ice age much faster than expected, and if we don’t do something about it, entire humanity will vanish.
Conclusion
What the Australian opposition and the New Zealand government are doing should be an example for everyone worldwide. Forcing people to take public transport and doing everything possible to incentivize this should be of utmost importance.
Healthcare workers went through hell for the past three years, and it’s time for us as a society to give them something back. They prevented millions from dying with their constant care in war-like conditions. The least we can do is give them free rides on public transportation. This will also help us as a society live a better life, so it’s a win-win situation.
