Free Public Transportation
In Estonia’s capital city of Tallinn, the local political leadership came up with a genius idea that would make everyone happy. Just like in any city in the world, some of the citizens are poor. Also, removing cars from the roads is generally seen as good for the environment.
The mayor of Tallinn figured he could kill two birds with one stone, and offeredfree public transportation to anyone who is a registered resident of his city. The plan is genius: Despite the costs to the city for providing the initial transport, it also means more people register as residents. This, in turn, means more tax revenue for Tallinn’s administration.
Not only that, but—because people can move so freely and cheaply around the city—it appears the program, at least initially, is actually improving the business of local shop owners. Due to the program, more people are using public transport and fewer cars are on the road, so the environment wins too.