Carinthia offers free public transport for one week

Public transport across Carinthia is free for one week from Wednesday as part of the “Umsteigertage” campaign, ORF reported. The initiative aims to encourage motorists to switch permanently to buses and trains.

Until next Tuesday, passengers can use all rail services and buses in the state’s cities and regions without a ticket. Regional micro public transport services, including the Postbus-Shuttle, are also included.

The campaign is organised by the state of Carinthia and Verkehrsverbund Kärnten, the state’s public transport association. Roland Fercher of Kärntner Linien said the focus was on daily commuting, but also encouraged people to leave their cars at home for leisure trips. Weekend services have been expanded, making some hikes and excursions accessible by public transport, he said.

Fercher said the campaign had been successful in previous years, with ticket sales rising noticeably afterwards. Sales of season tickets such as the Kärnten-Ticket and the Klima-Ticket have sometimes increased by up to 50 percent.

This year, the organisers hope to sell more than 20,000 Kärnten-Tickets and around 12,000 Klima-Tickets across the state. Participating transport companies are covering the cost of the campaign by waiving ticket revenue, according to the Carinthian state government.