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Vienna rewards those who take public transport, bicycle or walk, with concert & museum tickets

Source: Unsplash/JacekDylag

Austrian capital and cultural hub Vienna provides cultural rewards for car-free travellers in Vienna

Free cultural tickets for those who leave their cars behind

If you take public transport, cycle or walk in Vienna, you stand to gain more than fresh air and exercise, with the city unveiled an app last month to reward car-free travel with free concert and museum tickets.

If the six-month test is successful, the app is expected to be rolled out to the broader public in the autumn.
A total of 1,000 users will start a test of the smartphone app from February 26. If the six-month test is successful, the app is expected to be rolled out to the broader public in the autumn. Source: Unsplash/AlisaAnton

“Culture tokens” for car-free commuters

A total of 1,000 users will start a test of the smartphone app from February 26. If the six-month test is successful, the app is expected to be rolled out to the broader public in the autumn.

The app works through a tracking system that recognises the mode of transport used and calculates the CO2 savings in comparison to taking a car.

"We want to reward CO2 reduction with a cultural experience," Vienna city council member Peter Hanke told a press conference at the presentation of the new app, which allows users to collect "culture tokens" whenever they commute without cars.

Users get one token as soon as they have saved 20 kilogrammes of CO2, which would be reached if a average resident within the city limits commuted without a car for two weeks, according to project leader Christina Hubin.

The tokens can be exchanged for free tickets at four participating cultural institutions. The Vienna Museum of the city’s history, an art exhibition space, a theatre and a classical concert venue are taking part.

In the initial test phase the participating institutions will not be compensated. Vienna, with its 1.8 million inhabitants, is known for its efficient public transport.

Annual travel cards for public transport cost just one euro per day and now outnumber cars in the city.

Under a newly formed coalition government between the conservative People’s Party (OeVP) and the Greens, Austria aims to be climate neutral by 2040, a decade ahead of the EU’s target.

Source: TheLocal.at

App users will receive one token as soon as they have saved 20 kilogrammes of CO2 and the tokens can be exchanged for free tickets at four participating cultural institutions. The Vienna Museum of the city’s history, an art exhibition space, a theatre and a classical concert venue are taking part.
Vienna is known for its cultural venues and efficient public transport App users will receive one token as soon as they have saved 20 kilogrammes of CO2 and the tokens can be exchanged for free tickets at four participating cultural institutions. The Vienna Museum of the city’s history, an art exhibition space, a theatre and a classical concert venue are taking part. Source: Unsplash/LucaDugaro

In Rome you can pay bus and Metro tickets by recycling plastic bottles

The experimental ecobonus system — whereby commuters in Rome who recycle plastic bottles at metro stations can accumulate credits for the purchase of bus and metro tickets through the MyCicero and TabNet apps. — will be in place for one year at three metro stations: Cipro on the A line, Piramide on the B line, and S. Giovanni on the C line. For each plastic bottle recycled, commuters will receive a credit of five cents, meaning if they recycle 30 bottles they receive a free €1.50 ticket. Learn more.

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