Revitalize public transportation, adjust timetables to usual starts\ends of shifts;
Make dumb paycards to pay-per-ride, consequential rides counting as one (if one needs to jump them);
Public sector employees, essential ones first, get 2 rides per working day monthly, to go there and back;
After getting some stats, make it equal to N litres of gasoline in $, tax-free, promote paying with it on gas stations and for government’s services. No easy conversion to cash tho, not at the start at least, so it won’t be seen as free money, worthy a fraud.
As a public test, it’d show if it works. Then, it can be pushed onto students, then on other spheres.
Then, as a large amount of workers has this benefit, it’s not a wet dream but a real thing to consider and demand. One that private businesses would see.
I do find that not paying for commute has a good competitive value. It means I start to earn money right from the time I clock in, not spending my first minutes to compensate getting there – and that’s a bitch for low-paid workers. Compared to those working from home, I still wake up earlier and am trapped on company’s ground, but it’s a first step to bridge and accept this difference.
In some cities I visited (ex-socblock) some big factories provide their own transport to take workers from their district and then bring them back. Since they are based way out of cities’ limits due to health concerns, it’s an obvious solution to that. By managing the commute of workers, factory may also be sure everyone in production line gets there at the same time, reaching full efficiency.