What if all public transport was free?
I've seen the future, in a city in the south of France.
They say that travel broadens the mind.
Living elsewhere - or even just experiencing different places on holiday - reminds you that things could be different back home too.
Only one thing better than trams - free trams.
Last month we were on holiday for ten days in the south of France (here if you’re looking for a nice campsite, with its own vineyard and next to an old railway line that’s now a beautiful cycling and walking path.
One day we headed off to Montpellier - a beautiful city that also happens to be very accessible by train from the UK too - with trains from Lille - following a short trip on Eurostar - taking around five hours.
One of the things that makes Montpellier such an attractive place to visit is its excellent public transport system - which, since December last year - has been completely free for residents to use.
It’s all part of a concerted effort by city leaders to reduce climate emissions and congestion, make the air cleaner, and make the city a nicer place to live in and visit.
Other measures include subsidies for purchasing an electric bike, and a shared bike scheme with fees that are around a quarter of what you’d need to pay to hire a bike in the city where I live.
This is what climate leadership looks like at a city level
This is the kind of future we need. Big, strategic actions, taken by local and national governments, which make people’s lives better - whilst also tackling the climate emergency.
I very much believe we should all try to do what we can, as individuals and working alongside other local people, to live in ways that have less negative impact on the planet.
But our primary focus has to be on pushing for much bigger changes - that then make it easier for us all to make better choices. Like about how we get around the places where we live.
These kinds of investments - in things like excellent public transport - are a key part of how we can create a just transition - so we can build a society where people can lead a good life, whilst also giving us a fighting chance of avoiding living in an increasingly hostile climate.
I know what kind of future I want. And it’s got free public transport right at the heart of it.