Organized fare-dodgers in Paris jumping the barriers

If we refuse to buy tickets, it is not because we disrespect the common good, as many dutiful ticket-buyers might think, but on the contrary because we take it seriously.

Ideally, we consider it fair play to give an amount of money to benefit from a good public infrastructure. As it happens, we do pay for the transport system through our taxes. If we are required to pay for it twice, it is because the infrastructure devised to control the travellers – barriers, controllers, tickets offices, high-tech electronic coupons – is so expensive. If we got rid of all this, public transportation would be cheaper. It would also reduce pollution by encouraging people to use trains and buses instead of cars.

Besides the fact that tickets are hardly affordable for many of us, not buying them is also a way to boycott the policy of the Paris transportation company, the RATP, now partly privatized. Since the early eighties, the state, via the RATP, has been using the underground to shape a specific public space, half way between a supermarket and a prison. If the transport network has always had policing fonctions, such as the harassment of migrants and people who can’t afford tickets, it has become more fiercely militarized over the past few years. This space is also used to promote antisocial technologies like RFID cards, CCTV cameras and videoscreens, which travellers gradually learn to put up with because they have no choice. And of course, every inch of this « public » space is used up for advertisement, while the RATP forbids the handing out of any sort of political literature on its premises. Thus the transport system is much more than a way to go from one place to another: it is a sort of laboratory dedicated to order and consumption, testing various ways to manage crowds and manipulate individuals.

In this context, we find that jumping the barriers of the Paris underground makes a lot of sense.

Insurance for fare-dodgers

Fare-dodging is normally a solitary and a financially hazardous activity. Being part of a group of organized fare-dodgers allows you to walk around with your head high, illicit but insured.

How does that work ?

Fare-dodgers meet once a month in and around Paris. In each assembly, each member puts a small amount of money (6-7 euros) into a kitty, which is used to pay members’ fines. Since even a very unlucky person cannot be fined more than 4 or 5 times a year, the group easily balances its books.

Each group of fare-dodgers is a democratic and sovereign assembly. At meetings, we devise and exchange tricks to get through metro barriers; we plan events and direct action; and we collect money and pay back fines. This system is based on mutual trust and to my knowledge there have been no cases of misappropriation – which has to do with organizing on a small-scale, each assembly consisting of 10 to 30 members.

The oldest of these groups is now 4 years-old and there are at least 5 other assemblies of fare-dodgers in Paris. Needless to say, we encourage any informal group of friends or colleagues to do the same and adapt the formula to their needs and desires, and to the characteristics of the transport system of their city.

http:/metro.samizdat.net
gratuit@samizdat.net

Meetings every first wednesday of the month at CICP, 21ter rue Voltaire, 75011 Paris, 19:30.

Successful Free Transport Day in Bremen!

On the 16th of May, the Klimaplenum Bremen, an independent local environmental group, organized a “Free Transport Day” (Umsonstfahrtag) in their hometown in northern Germany. Activists gathered to ride trains and buses for free and to engage the public in discussions on local transport issues.

The demand for free local transport stems from both ecological and social concerns: the goal is as much to reduce private traffic and CO2 emissions as it is to allow mobility for everyone regardless of income and financial resources.

Actions related to the protest reached from manipulating billboards of the local transport authority, marking ticket vending machines as “out of order”, distributing information material, and talking to train and bus passengers. The reception among the latter was generally positive. While the media focused on the protesters’ environmental demands, the passengers seemed particularly interested in alternative fare policies.

The transport authority had voiced its objection to the protest and had instructed its drivers to remind the free riders that their actions were illegal. However, no drastic measures were taken to prevent the protest, probably due to its relative popularity among the public.


More information (in german) and pictures at Indymedia

Bremen: Freerideday – Reclaim your public transport!

On saturday the 16th of may there will be actions for free public transport in the german city Bremen. The organizers are stressing opposition to ever-raising fares and the importance of public transport in the battle against climate changes.

On the 16th people will use public transports without paying, controlling the ticket-controllers and engage in “critical mass“-actions.

If you are nearby, join in!

More information: Klimaplanum Bremen

Annual report for 2008 from Planka.nu (Stockholm, Sweden)

2008 was definitly the most active year in the history of Planka.nu (we started in 2001). We decided early on to broaden our perspectives and push harder for free public transport as one (out of many) solutions to the climate crisis. During the year the Swedish left party as well as the newly formed climate alliance “Klimataktion” started to support the idea of free public transport. Planka.nu was also one of the founding groups – together with among others Friends of the Earth and The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation – of the “Klimatstart” network working against the planned city highways around Stockholm.

On the first of march the free public transport day was celebrated for the first time with a big demonstration in the subway in Stockholm arranged by Planka.nu and “Öppna Stockholm” (= Open Stockholm). After the demonstration activist bags were handed out to all the participants and free public transport activists travelled around the public transport system in Stockholm and made it free for a while by opening all the turn-stiles.

Later on during the spring, we participated in the climate crashes arranged by the climate action group “Klimax” and we arranged a anti-highway weekend together with Friends of the Earth and the youth section of The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation. During the annual political spectacle “Almedalsveckan” – where all politicians and lobbyists in Sweden meet up and hang out – we joined forces with “Klimax” and did a lot of actions against the car lobby. Among other things we disturbed their meetings by playing up highway noise in authentic volume outside, something we also did outside the Swedish parliament, to protest against the planned highways.

In the late September we participated in the European Social Forum in Malmo where we held a meeting entitled “Building a public transport network”, which was visited by people from several different countries. After that meeting the idea to start an international network for free public transport activists started and in November we released Freepublictransports.com. At the same time we released the report “Travel doesn’t have to cost the earth” (in English soon) were we presented five concrete measures to make the transport sector in Stockholm climate smart and socially just.

When the local politicians who runs the public transport in Stockholm wanted more money to buy the same barriers as they have in Lyon in France to “stop the free-riding” we went to Lyon and filmed ourselves free-riding there. Then we showed up outside city hall and handed over the film of us free-riding on the same day as they were going to take the decision on whether to fund these new barriers or not. It was that days biggest news in local media, and half a year later, they haven’t said anything more about these barriers.

After that we went to the UN climate meeting COP14 in Poznan, Poland. It was very interesting and fun to see that process from the inside, even though the (non-existing) outcome was a disaster. The best thing we got out of that trip was a lot of new international contacts: the polish young socialists, other activists, researchers and lobbyists.

During 2008 we also continued to pay the public transport tickets for paperless immigrants, finally published our big media archive on our website, expanded our library for in-service training, debate free public transport with the liberal party, celebrated the first of may with the revolutionary syndicalist union SAC, arranged music clubs with Spiderdogs, lost every game in the freedom soccer cup, printed a lot of different stickers, bags, t-shirts and flyers…

Against price increase in public transport in Toruń

We know that we’re a bit late in publishing this action account, that’s because we had some problems getting this blog up and running. Even though it’s a bit old we still thinks it’s inspiring to read!

/Fpt.com crew

On 25-th of January 2009 Young Socialists protested against last resolution of City Hall in Toruń which rise prices of city transport’s tickets and privatizating bus line to Lubicz.

Under the slogans „Stop rises in MZK” (Miejski Zakład Komunikacyjny – Urban Transport Company) and „We won’t pay for your crisis” activists of Young Socialists and a group of citizens from Toruń have marshed through the Old Town of Toruń to the statue of Nicolaus Copernicus where the action joined together with speeches has taken place.

By the opinion of member of Young Socialists Bartosz Grucela, The Town Council has passed rises of tickets price on 30-th of December on purpose to avoid critic protests of inhabitants of Toruń. Grucela announce organizing students society against price’s rises. Other Young Socialist activist, Karolina Gierszewska think, that there is a chance for change this City Council Regulation if people, which felt rises most hard, will arise against this decision together.

Action has met big interest and goodwill of habitants of Toruń. Film clip from this action can be watched on Youtube :

Free public transport in Zagreb!

Yesterday the Croatian capital Zagreb introduced free public transport in the wider downtown area, according to the Croatian Times, the head of Zagreb Municipal Transit System (ZET) said: “This is designed to reduce car traffic in the centre and encourage residents to park their cars in public garages outside the centre.”

Tolic said the city’s finances would not be hurt by the new measure.

We’d like to congratulate the citizens in Zagreb!

Read the article in the Croatian Times.

Manchester

Public transport and environmental activists from around Greater Manchester will be visiting Eccles Town Centre on Saturday 7th March to promote their growing campaign for “an expanded public transport system that is fully integrated, publicly owned and free at the point of use.”

They will be holding an open-air “open-microphone” public meeting, and collecting signatures for their petition at Eccles Interchange between 12.00 noon and 2.00 pm, and are inviting local people to come along and air their views on the future of public transport in Greater Manchester following the recent crushing defeat of the congestion charge financed TIF proposals for public transport infrastructure improvements, the result of which has left a huge political vacuum around the issue of public transport.

They will be joined by members of Salford Unemployed Centre, Salford TUC and a student contingent from Salford University

Speaking on behalf of the Greater Manchester Campaign, Stephen Hall from Atherton said: “We believe Public transport is an essential public service. We want to see its improvement and expansion throughout Greater Manchester for the benefit of its users, to help reduce traffic from our roads, to reduce pollution and CO2 emissions, and to help protect pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.

“Though many of us support the campaign for simply environmental reasons alone, given that in a recent survey, 72% of the people said they would only give up their cars if they had access to free public transport, the central aim of our campaign, which is for all public transport to be free at the point of use, clearly has a much broader resonance than purely an environmental one.

“We believe the cost of what we are proposing should be financed out of general taxation – just like the NHS is! Public transport should be a truly public service run for the benefit of the public.

“There’d be no need to raise income tax (or VAT) in our opinion, as there’s already more than enough money left from what’s already raised from road fund licenses on cars and lorries, from fuel duty on petrol and diesel, and from the VAT on petrol and diesel, which is over £40 billion annually, as against less than £18 billion spent on everything to do with transport including on all our roads and rail network, to pay for what we are proposing, which is essentially a zero fares policy already enjoyed by millions of our senior citizens and which should be extended to everyone.

“The trouble is we currently use all that surplus, and more, to finance such other things as maintaining our so-called nuclear deterrent, building new aircraft carriers, engaging in war in Afghanistan & Iraq, and most recently bailing out the banks. The list of what else other than transport the surplus is spent on in fact, is almost endless. The reality is it’s simply a question of Governmental priorities. We’d have what we want tomorrow if it were made into a Governmental priority, rather than many of these other things.

“In fact, with the Government committed to massive reductions in CO2 emissions by 2050 we think they are plain daft not to listen to what we’re proposing given the contribution of ‘transport’ generally to overall emission levels, which it’s calculated is as much as a third of the total. Also, when most or all of the cost of what we are proposing would be substantially offset from savings generated as a result of reduced road deaths and respitarory illnesses associated with traffic exhausts, reduced road congestion (which already costs £billions according to the Government’s own estimates) and road repair costs (which also cost £billions annually), the end of the existing transport subsidies to private operators (which additionally costs hundreds of £millions), combined with the increase in income tax receipts generated from the greater number of public transport employees and numerous other financially beneficial spin-offs.

“On any account, what we are fighting for is our contribution to the solution to ever increasing pollution and CO2 emissions.

“It’s our suggestion for tackling traffic congestion 24/7 and not just a peak times, which is all the congestion charge proposed to do, and which thousands of hard pressed local commuters into Manchester were expected to pay for to the tune of over £1200 a year in addition to what they already pay in tax.

“It’s also our contribution to tackling the effects of the credit crunch – putting hundreds if not thousands of pounds of annual transport costs back into ordinary people’s pockets and generating hundreds of new jobs – building more buses, trams and trains, and training and hiring hundreds of new bus, train, and tram drivers and guards, etc.

“If people agree with our idea, an idea whose time has come we believe, or would like to know more about what exactly we are fighting for, in fact even if they disagree with what we are proposing, then we urge them to come along to our Open-Air Forum on Saturday and to listen to our case. It is unassailable in our opinion!”

Free public transport day!

The free public transport day occurs on the first Saturday of March and was first celebrated by the swedish commuter network Planka.nu with a large subway demonstration in the subway in Stockholm on the first of March 2008.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajzSDPUOjTw&hl=sv&fs=1]
This year the free public transport day will be celebrated on the 7th of March and we hope that everyone of you will join us in the celebration! In Stockholm there will, among other things, be political rallies and opening of barriers in the public transport system.

We have set up the webpage www.freepublictransportday.com where everyone can send in information about what activities they will be doing on that day, as well as reports and pictures afterwards. (please mail them to info@freepublictransports.com and then we’ll publish them)

Don’t forget that freepublictransports.com/material offers merchandise to order for free, a perfect opportunity to spread the awareness about the global free public transport movement on the 7th of March!