A UBS increases pollution – free transportation is inappropriate for rural areas and can increase exhaust from buses.
Standing 2019 - research associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London [Guy, 6 June 2019, “Why ‘Universal Basic Services’ is no alternative to Basic Income” https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/why-universal-basic-services-is-no-alternative-to-basic-income/ Acc 3/23/23 TA]
Then we come to the UBS advocates’ proposal for free local transport. Once again, this is also not universal in any sense. It refers only to buses, which is hard luck on users of trains and metro systems, not to mention the many people living in areas with no or poor bus services. While free bus services are popular, free bus rides are not like free healthcare or free education. Not everybody wants or needs to take buses. And free services may induce excessive or frivolous use. Buses also cause pollution. In rural areas, where the alternative may be the private car, a shift to buses could reduce pollution. But in cities it could encourage people to take the bus rather than use non-polluting alternatives, such as bicycling, walking or staying at home.