From the 1st of January 2025, all public transport in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, is free to use. With the arrival of the New Year, the city joins only a handful of European cities that have introduced radical measures to prevent congestion on the roads, reports France 24.
“This means that no one will have to pay for a ticket anymore,” Mayor Aleksandar Sapic said in late December, noting that the city was following the example of Luxembourg, Estonian capital Tallinn and the French city of Montpellier.
Belgrade, home to almost two million people, is plagued by terrible traffic jams, with the number of cars on its roads having increased by 250 000 in the last decade, Sapic said.
The Serbian capital is one of the few major European capitals without an underground public transport system.
A metro system in Belgrade has been promised by 2030, although the project has not yet started.
Sapic also promised that old buses, trams and trolleybuses will be replaced with new ones by 2027.
In November, the mayor’s plans to demolish an important World War II-era bridge sparked protests and criticism that removing the bridge would only exacerbate traffic problems in the city.
The measure announced at the end of December was the latest in a series of support measures implemented by the Belgrade municipal government, which is backed by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. Over the past year, kindergartens have become free and financial aid has also been granted to pupils in the capital.