Austria offers free train travel for a year if you get a railcard tattoo

Austria's government is offering a year of complimentary train travel to people who get the new railcard inked as a tattoo.

This innovative promotion, endorsed by Austrian Greens MP Leonore Gewessler, aims to curtail reliance on private motorized transportation, steering the country towards fulfilling climate change objectives set by the Paris Agreement.

The "Klimaticket" or Climate Ticket, inked onto the skin, unlocks a year of cost-free train journeys for three fortunate recipients, translating to savings exceeding €1,000 ($AU 1,680).

Gewessler introduced this groundbreaking concept at a music festival in Austria, where special tattoo parlours known as "Aktion geht unter die Haut" (Action that gets under your skin) emerged at various events across the nation.

While the initiative aims to inspire eco-friendly travel and align with climate goals, it has drawn its share of controversy. Critics argue that Gewessler's approach exploits young individuals for political messaging. 

Gewessler countered such concerns by asserting that the promotion is responsibly conducted, exclusively accessible during sober daylight hours at festivals, and limited to individuals aged 18 and above.

As Austria pioneers this unconventional approach to bolstering sustainable transportation, discussions regarding the balance between environmental advocacy and personal autonomy are brought to the forefront. 

The incentive marks a distinctive strategy to foster change, urging people to literally wear their commitment to a greener future.