Porto shows the way with free public transport

Porto residents can now travel free across the city’s buses, trains, metro and trams, as Portugal’s second-largest city tackles the cost of getting around.

Residents activate the benefit using a municipal Porto Card. The programme is expected to cost the council between €20 million and €25 million a year, with Mayor Pedro Duarte considering a higher tourist tax to help fund it.

For people on low incomes, free travel can unlock far more than a cheaper commute. It makes jobs, healthcare, exercise, friendships and community activities easier to reach. Transport becomes less of a daily transaction and more of a public service: people helping people get from A to B.

The policy builds on Portugal’s free national travel scheme for people aged 23 and under. Luxembourg has offered fare-free public transport nationwide since 2020, but Porto’s programme is for registered residents only. Free fares alone may not persuade everyone to abandon their cars—frequent and reliable services matter too—but Porto has removed one large barrier. Sometimes a healthier, more connected city starts by simply letting people aboard.