Óscar Puente wants to create a single and common transport pass for all means of public transport in Spain. The Minister of Transport announced this Thursday at an informative breakfast that his intention is for this ticket – which in principle would have the same operation as the current regional passes, unlimited trips in exchange for a monthly amount – to be operational from 2026.
“The objective and challenge in 2026 is to implement the single ticket in Spain, something that Germany has, which has advantages and disadvantages there, and failures that allow us to learn,” the minister explained at a breakfast at the New Economy Forum.
The idea was proposed more than a year ago by Greenpeace following programs that countries such as Germany or Austria already have. Parties like Sumar had joined the NGO’s proposal. After launching the idea, the organization published a survey according to which three out of four citizens considered that it would be a useful measure. This Thursday, the NGO celebrated “the success of its proposal,” as reported.
The measure is announced when the aid for public transport that was established as a result of the pandemic is about to begin to decline, according to Greenpeace. The current forecast is that they will run out after the first half of 2025.
“People want solutions to cover their fundamental needs, such as mobility, contributing to the fight against climate change. Public transport is a fundamental pillar to reduce CO2 emissions and reduce dependence on private vehicles,” said Cristina Arjona, Greenpeace Mobility Coordinator. “This proposal for a single pass is the logical consequence of the temporary discounts on public transport that have been made in recent years and the transition period that will occur in 2025. Now we need all administrations, City Councils and Autonomous Communities to also collaborate to make it a reality as soon as possible.”
The Puente proposal presents several challenges, the first of all that public transport as a whole depends on the three administrations, which will have to agree. Trains are usually the responsibility of the central government; the metro or intercity buses, from the autonomous communities or consortia led by them, and urban buses, from the town councils.
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