Germans Asked to Swap Driving Licenses for Free Travel
Governments around the world have been looking for ways to get people out of their cars to make city life cleaner, easier and safer.
Some have banned cars from parts of cities, created more bike lanes or improved public transport.
But encouraging people to swap the convenience of cars for buses and trains isn't always easy.
In Germany, some local authorities have been trying a new idea: they've been asking people to swap their driving licenses for free public transport tickets.
According to the German news website Utopia, the offer has been made to people in parts of the north of Germany. However, it's not quite the same in every area — and it won't last a lifetime.
In some areas, residents will get six months of free travel; in others, it will last for a year.
Some districts have only made the offer to drivers over the age of 60 or 75, while it's available to all adults in other places.
The Telegraph reports that around 1,000 people have swapped their licenses for free public transport so far.
The free ticket should save people a little more than $50 per month on travel passes, although they will also save money on things like gas and car insurance.
But encouraging thousands more Germans to hand over their driving licenses may not be easy. Germans are known for their love of cars, and the country's trains have been criticized for often being late and too busy.
The government has also been working on increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road, although those numbers are increasing more slowly than had been hoped.
