How can we encourage people to use more of public transportation?

Question

How can we encourage people to use more of public transportation?

Answer 1

Make it convenient (go to major destinations, provide parking at stations for those taking mass transit into an urban area, have frequent trains/buses)

Make it safe

Make it cost effective for riders (taking into account money and time)

Answer 2

Make it really cheap or free.

Answer 3

As a regular user of Ottawa's public transportation system, I can see why people avoid using public transportation. Small changes, such as a decrease in price for tickets and passes, more frequent service in rural areas, and public bathrooms at all major transit stops would easily encourage a larger amount of the population to use our transit system. In other municipalities, I am sure that a price cut would definitively increase the amount of people who use public transit. Also, a tax rebate would be an incentive for people to stop driving everywhere, as well.

Answer 4

hold them at gun point, threaten, and blackmail

Answer 5

Let them carry their firearms with them.  Most "public" transportation agencies don't allow their customers to carry their firearms with them.  If you're a US citizen trying to exercise your right to keep and bear arms, you're pretty much banned from public transportation.  Considering how much crime there is on public transportion, especially trains, you'd have to be crazy to ride it unarmed.

Answer 6

we need to organise public transportation better.

it would be great if we had transportation from and to any town and village.

advertisments could be raised

the governments should eliminate all the taxes and fees they charge people and manage to decrease the cost as much as possible.

Answer 7

Keep the freaks who seem to be on public transportation off, make it more convenient, make i t faster, make it cheaper.

Answer 8

Increase gas prices.

Answer 9

Ban cars or make it cheaper for travels, add more bus lanes, make it more hassel free

Answer 10

Price comparison, petrol of your private vehicle versus public transport price. Making it economical for the private vehicle user and showing the profitable difference to them makes it easier to make a decision on usage.