paris mayor anne hidalgo nov 17 2017 charles platiaureuters file paris socialist paris mayor anne hidalgo is proposing to make all public transportation in the city free in order to reduce air pollution but opposition politicians are wondering who is going to foot the bill in an interview with french daily newspaper les echos earlier this week hidalgo announced that she asked three of her assistants to conduct a large study on the subject which will involve french and foreign experts the question of free transport is one of the keys to urban mobility in which the place of pollutioncausing cars is no longer central she asserted many cities are looking into it valerie pecresse head of the iledefrance region around paris and a member of the conservative party criticized hidalgo pointing out that ticket sales bring in three billion euros 37 billion a year passengers board a parisian subway oct 28 2010 in paris miguel medinaafpgetty images file we need that money pecresse told french radio classique adding that if travelers did not pay taxpayers would have to do so igloos provide shelter for homeless population in france france to ban mobile phones in primary middle schools starting in september 2018 hidalgo did not say how much her proposition would cost how she would finance it and whether it would cover the 22 million people living inside paris or all 12 million residents of the french capital and iledefrance region the study is expected to start in the next few weeks hidalgo said a subway train pulls into station bir hakeim in paris france february 25 2009 eyeswideopengetty images file opposition parties pointed out that hidalgo is already campaigning for her reelection in the 2020 municipal elections no doubt about it this is the start of the 2020 campaign said centrist party member alexandre vesperini a metro sign marks the entrance to the subway in paris jeff greenberguig via getty images file