A Proposal: Free Buses and Trains for Students

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1. 01A Proposal: Free Buses and Trains for Students

   Good evening, members of the city council. I'm here to make a proposal on behalf of the students in our city: let's make buses and trains free for everyone under twenty.

   各位市議員，晚安。我今天代表我們城市的學生，來提出一項提案：讓所有未滿二十歲的人，都能免費搭公車和火車。

2. 02The Problem

   Here's the problem. For many families, the cost of daily travel adds up quickly. As a result, some students skip after-school activities, or can't reach the library or a part-time job.

   問題是這樣的。對很多家庭來說，每天的交通費很快就會累積成一筆負擔。結果，有些學生放棄了課後活動，或是沒辦法去圖書館、去打工。

3. 03It Has Been Done Before

   This isn't a crazy idea. In 2020, Luxembourg made all public transport free for everyone in the country. Our proposal is much smaller: we're only asking for students.

   這不是天馬行空的想法。2020年，盧森堡讓全國所有人都能免費搭乘大眾運輸。我們的提案規模小得多：我們只為學生爭取。

   Source: Government of Luxembourg, free public transport (2020)

4. 04The Benefits

   The benefits go beyond saving money. Every student gets the same chance to join activities. Parents drive less, so there's less traffic. And young people who get used to public transport are likely to keep using it as adults.

   好處不只是省錢而已。每個學生都能有同樣的機會參加活動。家長開車接送的次數變少，交通也比較不塞。而且，習慣搭大眾運輸的年輕人，長大後很可能會繼續使用。

5. 05"But Who Will Pay?"

   I know what you're thinking: who will pay for it? It's a fair question. The city would lose some ticket income. One option is to cover part of it with higher parking fees in the city center, which would also encourage fewer cars.

   我知道各位在想什麼：誰來付這筆錢？這是個合理的問題。市府會損失一部分票價收入。其中一個辦法，是調高市中心的停車費來補貼一部分，這也能鼓勵大家少開車。

6. 06"Won't Buses Get Too Crowded?"

   Another concern is crowding. That's why we suggest checking passenger numbers on busy routes and adding buses where they are needed.

   另一個疑慮是擁擠。所以我們建議統計尖峰路線的乘客人數，在有需要的地方增加公車班次。

7. 07A Realistic First Step

   We're not asking you to change everything at once. We propose a one-year trial. We can measure how many students use it and how traffic changes, and then decide together.

   我們並不是要求各位一次改變所有事情。我們提議先試辦一年。我們可以統計有多少學生使用，以及交通狀況有什麼改變，然後再一起決定。

8. 08Conclusion

   To conclude, free transport for students is fair, good for the city, and possible. All we ask is a one-year trial. Thank you for your time, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

   最後，提供學生免費交通是公平的、對城市有益的，而且是可行的。我們只希望能試辦一年。謝謝各位撥冗聆聽，我很樂意回答大家的問題。