Meanwhile in North America, Canada’s VIA is operating on a shoestring and being further threatened … and in the last 50 years the US has pulled up most of the rails that were installed in the previous century. We’re stuck with airplanes, hybrid metro-transit, and what’s left of Greyhound. But, hey, we’ve got a world to police!
You’re telling me.
The argument that they make is that more ticket sales -> more funding -> better service -> more riders
But honestly they spent so much on enforcement, it eroded the funding argument, and having to pay for €100 tickets every month, paying increased fines, and pass through slow ticket gates erodes the better service argument.
I guess that makes a little sense, but public transport should be an expense, not a business.