“Let’s think of mobility as a right”, Daniel Santini of the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil told Fare Free London’s event on Saturday 27 September.
Take a look at the slides Daniel presented at the meeting.
“People need public transport not only to go to work and back, or to school and back, but also to do things for themselves: to meet friends and family, to go to the library or the park.”
Santini spoke, on a video link, about how free public transport works in 137 municipalities in Brazil. Since the trend really took off in 2022-23 it has been shown to reduce social inequality and reduce traffic jams and pollution.
The number of bus routes has increased “exponentially” since fares were abolished. Costs, usually covered from municipal budgets, have risen too – but efficiency has risen too. And those costs are far outweighed by benefits.
Santini said that transport campaigners in Brazil urge municipalities to aim for “triple zero”: zero fares, zero carbon emissions from transport, and zero deaths and injuries in road accidents.
That third aim, “Vision Zero”, is already in the London Mayor’s transport policy. One down, two to go.
In a panel discussion on “How to Build Support for Free Public Transport”, London Assembly member Caroline Russell said that it is vital to tell stories about the impact of high fares on low-income households – such as those in Fare Free London’s forthcoming Fares Unfair briefing, based on survey research.
Russell, who in May takes over as chair of the Assembly’s transport committee, urged the couple of dozen trade union, community and climate activists present to consider how incremental steps towards free public transport would strengthen the longer-term campaign.
Ruth London of Fuel Poverty Action said that her group’s long-standing Energy for All campaign – which calls for a minimal amount of electricity and gas to be provided free to all households – had much in common with the campaign for free public transport.
Both demands helped decarbonisation in ways that are “based on what people need, now”.
Matthew Topham of the Better Buses Campaign in Yorkshire, speaking in a personal capacity, described the issues facing bus passengers in areas where, unlike London, services are “privatised and deregulated”.
Some progress has been made in bringing buses back under public control via franchising. But Topham urged campaigners to fight for transport policies to be guided by committees including transport workers and passengers, and not only council representatives.
Coral Jones of Doctors in Unite explained that the Royal College of Physicians and other medical colleges had issued reports showing the devastating health effects of urban pollution – but they had not yet spelled out how the solutions should be translated into government policy.
Daniel Randall, a union activist who works on the Bakerloo line, speaking in a personal capacity, explained that, when London branches brought a motion to the RMT union’s national conference, urging consideration of the free fares policy, it was not accepted.
There was a view that fare revenue is such a big part of the transport system’s finances that annulling it would put members’ jobs at risk. There is no reason why that should happen, he argued: rather, the whole funding basis of London’s transport could and should be shaken up.
Ruth from Fare Free London Haringey told the gathering how an active campaign had been established in the borough, starting with a public meeting, having regular street stalls where we talk to many people, and allying with other local community groups. They have written a leaflet addressing the question of how free fares could be funded, and translated it into different languages. They’re on the FFL web site, resources page.
The panel discussion was followed by Fare Free London’s annual meeting, at which a new organising group was elected. Its first task will be to map out a strategy for the next year’s campaigning: the local elections in May is likely to be one focus. More about that soon.
Published: 1st October 2025.
