Study finds cheaper public transport cuts driving but not car ownership

Lowering public transport fares reduced car use and carbon emissions in the Helsinki region, but proved costly as a climate measure, a new study has found.

The research, conducted by Kimmo Palanne of Aalto University and the VATT Institute for Economic Research, examined the effects of a 2019 fare and zoning reform in the capital area. Some commuters saw their travel costs fall by as much as 45 percent.