Free travel in public transport -Cercanías and Media Distancia- may be close to the end, according to the statements of the Minister of Transport Óscar Puente.
The position of the portfolio holder is not new since last year he warned after a new extension that the aid had served to «recovering users in the post-pandemic era» but the time of its end would come.
That moment now seems closer than ever. «I can anticipate that My position, of course, is that this policy must change», he expressed this Tuesday. Even so, everything is also framed in the “budgetary negotiations and decisions of the Government of Spain.”
Puente was specifically referring to the free Cercanías and Media Distancia trains, but it is also up in the air what will happen with the public transport bonus, where some communities like Madrid complement the Government’s aid. As to whether these will continue or not, the Government is silent until now.
What will happen to public transport in the Community of Madrid?
In one of the last extensions for the reduction of transport tickets, the Executive committed to contributing 30% of the funds as long as the communities complemented the measure. In the case of the Community of Madrid, another 30% from the regional government was added to the state’s 30%, leaving the rates currently reduced by 60%.
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Zone A pass: 21.80 euros
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Zone B1 pass: 25.40 euros
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Zone B2 pass: 28.80 euros
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Zone B3 pass: 32.80 euros
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Zone C1 subscription: 32.80 euros
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Zone C2 subscription: 32.80 euros
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Zone E1 subscription: 44.20 euros
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Zone E2 subscription: 52.70 euros
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Youth Pass (up to 26 years old) all areas: 8 euros
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Pass for 10 trips (Zone A, EMT, ML1): 6.10 euros
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Pass for 10 trips with ML2 and ML3: 9.10 euros
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Retirees subscription: free
It must be taken into account that the Cercanías network and the Metro and buses are not managed by the same organizations. The Ministry of Transportation is the owner of the Cercanías network through two companies: Renfe Cercanías and Adif.
The network of Madrid Metro depends directly on the Community of Madrid and the Madrid City Council does the same with urban buses.
For the moment, the aid – one or another – is valid until December 31, 2024. In this way, we have to wait to see what the central government decides and the response of the autonomous communities if the decision were to end all of them. In the case of end of free Cercanías trains would occur throughout the network in Spain because the decision depends on the Government.
In the case of other transport such as Metro, the Community of Madrid should speak out on whether, if it did not have 30% of the Executive, it would maintain some type of reduction on rates.
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