Who says there’s no such thing as a free ride? In the Chilean capital of Santiago however, bus riders have had four days of free rides.

After three days in which bus fares were abandoned to ensure passengers got on and off as quickly as possible, operators had planned to start charging again on Tuesday morning using a new swipe-card system.
But at the last minute the government ordered fares to be waived because around 15 percent of the machines that read the cards were not working properly.

I know I’ve gotten excited here in NYC when a bus Metrocard reader doesn’t work and I get a free ride. Micro (as buses are called in Chile) riders haven’t been as impressed by the free rides as they are bandage remedy as Chile tries to reduce pollution causing traffic congestion that helps maintain a cloud of smog over Santiago.

Over the past three days commuters have waited hours for buses, some of which never arrived. Local media reported that passengers hijacked at least one private bus in the city center in a desperate bid to get home on Monday night.

Old bus routes have been scrapped and new ones introduced to link up with the Metro, a fast and efficient underground train service serving much of the city of 6 million.

Having lived in Chile, I can tell you it was hard enough to get a bus to stop to pick you up so I can understand the desperation.

Via / CNN
Image Via / Pepe’s Chile