Blaming free transport for higher criminality is wrong

A little over two years ago, Luxembourg became the first country in the world to make public transport free of charge for everyone. It was in many foreign papers, and I remember feeling very proud.

While the rest of the world talks, our country is actually doing things for a cleaner planet - and trying to find solutions for the traffic problem. Fantastic. I love it.

But not everyone is crazy about it. I recently heard some people talking about the rising crime rate in Luxembourg and… they blamed it on our free public transport.

According to them, free public transport enables people who live abroad and have bad intentions, to come to Luxembourg to harass and rob.

Are you kidding me?

This is like blaming the fart of your neighbour’s chihuahua for smog in summer. It is so far-fetched that it is not even within reach anymore.

Yes, crime rates are up. But they have been going up steadily since 2017. As we’ve only had free public transport since 2020 there is no logic in blaming that for a trend that started three years prior.

By the way, I am not a journalist and I have never gotten a kick from deciphering statistics, so my research sources are limited, and you can probably shoot some holes in my argumentation. However, you can shoot infinitely more holes in blaming our free public transport for the higher crime rates.

For instance, what are the stats on the culprits. I’ve tried to look them up but didn’t find a thing. Do they live in Luxembourg? Are they from outside of Luxembourg?

You know what, it doesn’t even matter. If they are from outside of Luxembourg, they will still have to get into Luxembourg and getting here is not free.

Whether by train, plane, bus or car, you need money for that. So, do a free bus or tram ride within Luxembourg really make the difference? Please.

And after the crime has been committed - let’s say a burglary. Will the perpetrator really just patiently wait for the tram with a crowbar in hand? Do you see them sling their duffle bag over their shoulder and hop on a bus with laptops and silver chandeliers sticking out? Chatting with the person next to them while removing their balaclava? Honestly.

Forget about burglaries, let’s talk aggression and harassment. I think that numbers on that have been on the rise for quite some time as well. And I think there is a myriad of reasons for that. Let’s pick two.

Social media is one; anyone can make a fake name and say anything to anyone online, with aggressive tones, foul language, nasty remarks and hurtful comments. I fear this way of communicating is slowly making its way to the offline world and is subconsciously becoming the new normal of how people interact with one another.  More on this in a dedicated article soon, by the way.

And two: how about our booming economy? Our little nation has the highest GDP per capita in the world. This may sound like a good thing, and it definitely attracts thousands of people to Luxembourg each year. But this boom doesn’t mean that everyone can participate. Just look at housing: it is unaffordable for many. So, our country, like many others, has a growing divide between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’. And a growing sentiment of injustice. This inequality, like in so many other countries, is probably a much bigger reason for criminality and unpleasant behaviour on the rise.

I think it is safe to say that free public transport is not the cause for the continuous rise in crime since 2017. And for those people that worry about their safety because of free public transport: look around. Luxembourg may be changing, and you may not like all of it, but focus on the good. There is plenty of that.

Luxembourg is still one of the safest countries and a fantastic place to live. Plus, you can visit all corners of this beautiful country free of charge. So please refrain from bad mouthing the beauty that is our free public transport.