Conversation

The main reason to have free public transport in an energy crisis is fuel conservation, not any sort of cost relief. If something is free, more people use it. The more people use public transport, which is more fuel-efficient than private vehicles, the less fuel is consumed. That reduces the intensity of the crisis.

Many people would not directly benefit because public transport is not practical for them. Some people who are relatively wealthy would directly benefit. I don’t think either of those facts are relevant, because the policy is not being proposed on the basis that it would relieve costs for individuals.