FareBench: an international comparison of public transport pricing systems

04/2007

The results of the fare comparison provide an overview of the very different public transport pricing system structures in place around the world, allowing some key conclusions to be drawn:

An integrated transport service does not inevitably mean increased fares.
The quality of the network and the service is at present only partly reflected in price rises.
On average, Europe has the third highest fare levels after Australia and North America.
In cities with a higher per-head GDP, fares are usually greater than in those with lower incomes, with the exception of China.
In terms of the number of minutes required to acquire a ticket, European cities tend to be ranked in the middle.
European systems have a high degree of fare differentiation and give greater discounts. Tariff differentiation is the greatest by far within German local transportation systems.
Overall, the study shows the high quality and balance of German fare systems when compared to others around the world, and sharpens awareness of structuring options for the future.

Published in: Nahverkehrspraxis 04/2007