Denmark’s free public transport plan could push young people off bikes, cycling group warns

A proposal in Denmark’s new government platform to make public transport free for children and young people up to age 22 risks reducing cycling among youth rather than car use, according to a leading cycling advocate.

Mike White, chair of the Cyclists’ Federation in Aalborg, argued the plan overlooks cycling as a sustainable alternative, warning that free buses and trains typically draw more riders from bikes than from cars. “All experience shows that when you make buses and trains free, there’s very little shift away from cars—but a big shift away from cycling,” he told public broadcaster DR.

While White acknowledged the benefits of free transport for young people, he stressed that the policy fails to incentivize cycling, particularly in urban areas where many could easily bike instead. “This isn’t about denying young people free transport,” he said. “But we need to pair it with a real push to get them cycling far more.”

The incoming government aims to implement the free public transport measure as early as next year.