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A comment on Estonia plans to become a free public transport nation. Parent comment

Re:Estonia plans to become a free public transport nation by liberal_098 on Saturday May 19, 2018 @08:16AM (#17107581)
> World's First Entirely Tax-Funded Public Transport Nation

World's First Entirely EU-Tax-Funded Public Transport Nation

Estonia gets quite significant subsidies, subventions, grants and whatever other aid from EU so they can afford such experiments.

Interestingly, EU officials are also happy because they see the impact as opposed to having money simply disappeared - which is not an exception. Only EU tax payers and donor countries might not be happy because they have to pay for this fun and for their own transportation too - but who asks them :(

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Re:Estonia plans to become a free public transport nation by yani on Saturday May 19, 2018 @08:37AM (#17107652)
Do you have any proof that links EU funds being used for this?
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Re:Estonia plans to become a free public transport nation by liberal_098 on Saturday May 19, 2018 @08:42AM (#17107669)
You ask as if it were some criminal activity. Actually, I find using external funds not bad at all whether they are used directly or indirectly (feasibility studies, investments in infrastructure like roads etc.)

I just wanted to say that without having significant financial support from EU Estonia would hardly be able to carry out such experiments with "free" services.

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Re:Estonia plans to become a free public transport nation by yani on Saturday May 19, 2018 @09:49AM (#17107894)
I think you are mistaken. That is why I ask. Every euro from EU is given to a country for a specific thing. Regional development, building roads, public parks etc. I am wondering what EU grants can be converted to cover public transportation.
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Re:Estonia plans to become a free public transport nation by v2ikesibul on Saturday May 19, 2018 @09:13AM (#17107757)
It's a matter of political will, not foreign grants. Additional subsidies that enable free public transport are 25 million EUR per year [1]. State budget for 2018 is 10 308 million EUR [2].

[1] https://www.err.ee/640797/valitsus-pole-veel-tasuta-uhistran...

[2] https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/129122017031

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Re:Estonia plans to become a free public transport nation by crispyporkbites on Saturday May 19, 2018 @08:44AM (#17107673)
He doesn’t need it, it’s dogma
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Re:Estonia plans to become a free public transport nation by icebraining on Saturday May 19, 2018 @08:42AM (#17107668)
Yeah, the problem with the EU is really that the small peripheral countries have too much influence, whereas the wealthy countries are bullied submission /s
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Re:Estonia plans to become a free public transport nation by yani on Saturday May 19, 2018 @09:45AM (#17107877)
And here I thought EU will mean equality and not Europe on two speeds.
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