Go car free, get some free culture

Vienna’s hit on a cultural way of cutting carbon emissions - rewarding car-free travel with free tickets to museums and concerts.

The Austrian capital launches a new app today (February 26th) which will track users’ mode of transport and calculate the carbon dioxide saved compared to driving. Users will be awarded a “culture token” for each 20kg of CO2 saved.

Vienna is renowned for its efficient public transport system. Photo credit - Pixabay.

"On average, this is achieved by cycling to work every day for about two weeks," project manager Christina Hubin from Upstream Mobility, told a media conference.

Tracking is limited to the city.

The Town Hall in Vienna. Photo credit - Pixabay.

People will be given a choice of where to use their tokens. Top: Vienna State Opera House. Bottom: Musuems Quartier

A virtual chip appears on the cell phone display as a crystal, which gradually fills up. When full it can be exchanged for free tickets to four venues in the city - an art exhibition, a concert hall, a theatre and a museum.

Initially just one thousand users will trial the app for six months. If successful the scheme will be rolled out over the city.

Vienna is consistently voted as one of the world’s most liveable cities, for its public transport, wide avenues and green spaces. Photo credit - Pixabay.

In the initial test phase the participating institutions will not be compensated. Vienna, with its 1.8 million inhabitants, is known for its efficient public transport.

Annual travel cards for public transport cost just one euro per day and now outnumber cars in the city.

Under a newly formed coalition government between the conservative People's Party (OeVP) and the Greens, Austria aims to be climate neutral by 2040, a decade ahead of the EU's target.