Boosting the Modal Shift: 5 Ways to Make Public Transport the First Choice with FAIRTIQ

Why Modal Split Matters

Transport accounts for around 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As home heating and power generation are decarbonising fast, the share of transport is becoming increasingly harder to ignore, and EVs cannot be the only response. As a result, increasing the modal share of sustainable transport options—public transit, walking, and cycling—is essential.

But setting targets is easy; changing human behaviour is the real challenge. Achieving this shift requires more than infrastructure and regulation—it demands strategies that make daily travel easier, fairer and smarter.

💡 FAIRTIQ supports over 100 partners across Europe by simplifying ticketing, enabling flexible fares, or transforming travel data into actionable insights.

Here are five ways FAIRTIQ helps the shift towards sustainable travel:

1. Simplicity: Make Public Transport Effortless

People avoid public transport not because they dislike it, but because it seems complicated:

• Complex fare zones
• Confusing ticket types
• Fear of purchasing the wrong ticket
• Payment uncertainties

Solution: Remove friction.

With FAIRTIQ, travelling becomes as simple as swiping your phone—no confusion about zones, prices, or schedules.

✅ Simple
✅ Seamless
✅ User-friendly, even for seniors and infrequent users like tourists

"I am 80 and have been a happy FAIRTIQ user for several years—it feels like a real game changer for me!”
– Happy senior user, Switzerland

2. New Tariff Models: Fairer Fares for Modern Needs

Traditional season tickets don't align with today’s flexible working patterns. Modern travellers seek transparency, fairness and flexibility. New tariff models include:

• Daily/weekly/monthly fare caps – similar to a season ticket but without the need for upfront payment and commitment
• Reward schemes – bonuses based on travel behaviour
• Distance-based pricing – paying only for actual distance travelled
• Pay-as-you-go – effortless, fair pricing that adapts to every journey

FAIRTIQ in Action:

• Occitanie, France: Award-winning Pay-as-you-go with fare caps (e.g., young people pay 50% for their first 10 monthly trips, the next 10 trips are free, and from the 21st to the 30th trip, they receive credits towards the following month's journeys)
• North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany: Monthly cap at €58, the price of a Deutschland Ticket
• Aargau, Switzerland: Premyo rewards program offering progressive discounts: 5% discount from CHF 10, 10% from CHF 30, 15% from CHF 60, 20% from CHF 100, and 25% from CHF 150 and monthly fare caps.

3. Data-Driven Marketing: Reach the Right People at the Right Time

Generic campaigns like "Take the bus!" are no longer effective. Digital tools like FAIRTIQ enable targeted marketing using real-time data:

• Target inactive users to win them back
• Promote new routes directly to local residents
• Offer off-peak and location-based discounts
• Collect real-time user feedback

FAIRTIQ Examples:

• Freiburg, Germany: Promo codes of €3 are targeted at inactive users to re-engage them and stimulate renewed usage of public transport via the app.
• Yverdon, Switzerland: Temporary train discounts introduced during road closures to encourage modal shift.
• Occitanie, France: Incentive schemes for bus drivers are used to promote FAIRTIQ usage among passengers, aiming to reduce cash handling and onboard sales, while boosting adoption of digital ticketing.

4. Mobility Budgets: Empower Commuters with Choice

Instead of subsidising parking or providing company cars, companies like Groupe Grisoni offer their employees a mobility budget to promote sustainable commuting. Employees can use this allowance for sustainable commuting via public transport. This approach promotes flexibility and lowers emissions.

“With FAIRTIQ, we get a simple monthly invoice and clear usage tracking. No complicated expense claims—just smooth experiences for our employees.”
– Annelore Kleijer, CSR Engineer, Groupe Grisoni, Switzerland

5. Know Your Figures: Turn Data into Action

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Cities and transport operators need real-time insights into travel behaviors to effectively improve their modal split.

FAIRTIQ provides:

• Real-time dashboards updated daily
• Analytics to understand travel patterns
• Immediate user feedback through in-app surveys
• See travel patterns clearly and optimize your network with confidence.

“With the FAIRTIQ dashboard, I see today what happened yesterday. We're closer to our users and can react faster.”
– Frank Bärnighausen, CEO, Regional Transport Association Lörrach

A Future Where Public Transport Is the Default

Boosting the modal split means more than promoting buses or trams. It requires systems designed around the user: intuitive, responsive, and fair. When done right, public transport doesn’t just become an option—it becomes the obvious choice.
At FAIRTIQ, we are proud to stand alongside visionary Public Transport Operators, Authorities, and pioneering companies who are helping to steer the evolution of mobility.

Want to Learn More?

Discover how FAIRTIQ can help your city or company boost your modal split and make mobility smarter for everyone.