BIKE: CapMetro's Free Rides

[Bob Sessa]

You are being CC'd on the following email:

 

 

 

Dear Mr. Weir,

 

I read your August 16 column with interest.  From your analysis, it does appear that providing free rides on CapMetro is probably not cost effective.  I am sure you agree that pollution is a problem but you never discussed other solutions on how to deal with it.  Should we just hope that high levels of ozone go away?  

 

My suggestion is to take a market approach and charge the polluters.  Go to the source and penalize the ones emitting the harmful gases.  Why should children or the elderly (and in reality all of us) have to bear the cost of inhaling polluted air?  What is the cost of polluting the air --- $10, $20 or $30 a day for someone driving a car?  If we charge the polluters, this directly links the cause of the pollution to its source.  This would be more cost effective.  

 

CapMetro’s current program is trying to entice people to take the bus to help reduce pollution.  However, when the one causing the problem does not bear the true cost (ironically economics describes this as “the free rider problem”), the problem will never be corrected.  The polluters must be held accountable for their actions or they won’t change their behavior.  Consequently, drivers should pay by the amount of pollutants their cars emit.

 

How many people would then want to take CapMetro?

 

 

Bob Sessa



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