Vienna will reward people who forgo cars by giving them free concert tickets

Walk, ride a bike, or hop on a bus in Vienna, and you could be closer to a free concert or trip to a museum.

On Monday, the city launched a new app that tracks users' modes of transportation. It calculates the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) savings in comparison to driving a car, and once users save 40 pounds of CO2, they receive one "culture token." Tokens are then exchanged for free tickets to participating cultural institutions.

"We want to reward CO2 reduction with a cultural experience," said Peter Hanke, a member of the Vienna City Council. Right now, the app is being tested by 1,000 people, but if the trial is successful, the app will open to the broader public in the fall, AFP reports. Austria's goal is to be climate neutral by 2040.

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