People have different views about government’s financial backing in mass commune systems as well as whether lowering the public transport fare would alleviate pollution issues. I completely agree that this kind of schemes is a great idea for the city.
There are several reasons why I would agree with the further development of the mass transit systems. Firstly, it would be a great opportunity to encourage more citizens to utilize public transport due to its accessibility. For instance, building new metro stations in new areas, or increase the frequency of the bus runs during peak hours to accommodate commuters would be beneficial. On the other hand, when there are more people using public transport, it means there are less vehicles on the street, hence reduce the smog produced and improve air quality in general. Lastly, investing in city planning that involves cycling paths would also contribute greatly in the traffic reduction. For example, Copenhagen is renowned as one of the most well developed and bicycle friendly capitals in the world. Not just the locals, travellers could make good use of the cycling systems when they are visiting as well.
In regards to decreasing the ticket prices for transportation, I reckon it would make public transport more attractive, therefore, commuters would choose public transport over vehicles like taxis. Some cities even introduced off-peak hour offers. Taking Hong Kong as an illustration, the metro encourages citizens to commute before peak hours to have “early bird discount” to enjoy 25% off their regular fare. It definitely improves the amount of crowds during the busiest hours.
In conclusion, I totally agree with official schemes regarding to enhancing the transit systems together with the fare reduction. I am sure it will greatly in improving air pollution as well as the car emission.