For Dunkirk, I believe the shops, restaurants,... now pay more tax to sustain the free transports. Itβs better than taxing individuals because everybody wins: residents have more money to spend, shops pay more taxes but they now have more customers who are now richer.
But that also means higher prices in the shops and restaurants. This makes markets outside of the city more competitive. Eg order from Amazon instead of buying from a local store.
