This paper discusses experience of a free public transport scheme, which has been operating in Castellón de la Plana, Spain, since 1990. It first describes the city's general features, especially those relating to urban mobility: (1) road network characteristics; (2) the availability of car parking; (3) pedestrian zones; and (4) bicycle zones. It then examines the city council's urban transport policy, especially with respect to the organisation, management, supply and demand, financial structure, and pricing of public transport. There was a steady fall in local demand for public transport between 1978 and 1989. At the beginning of 1989, the city council decided to provide free public transport for those residents of Castellón municipal district who applied for a free pass. It was at first confined to bus services operated by ACCSA, the urban transport concessionaire which covered the city centre and various suburbs, but, after protests from local citizens, later extended to other local bus services. Public transport demand rose by nearly 50% during the scheme's first Year of operation, but remained almost constant after that.
Abstract