Fares across all public transport services in and around Buenos Aires will rise by as much as 66 percent by June, the Transport Ministry announced Wednesday.
Bus services will remain cheaper than the "subte" underground system but will see the greatest increase in fares from $6 pesos to $8 pesos in February, $9 pesos by April and $10 pesos (US$ 0.55c) by June, for a 66-percent overall increase. "Subte" fares will rise in April from $7.50 to $11 and to $12.50 (US$ 0.68c) in June, while train services into Buenos Aires City will jump from $5.50 to $6.75 pesos (US$ 0.37c) in June, excluding the Roca line whose fares rise from $2 pesos to $3.25 pesos (US$ 0.18c). Fares for pensioners, students and people with disabilities will rise from $4 pesos to $6.75 pesos (US$ 0.37c) by June, the Transport Ministry announced.
“We haven’t raised transport prices for two years”, Transport Minister Guillermo Dietrich told reporters Wednesday at a press conference it the capital.
SOFTENING THE BLOW
Public transport in Buenos Aires is heavily subsidised by the national government (between 60 and 62 percent of each fare) because of the wide geographical distribution of its users, many of whom rely on multiple forms of transport to travel across the City or into the City from Greater Buenos Aires.
To soften yesterday’s blow, which had long been expected, the Transport Ministry launched the so-called “Red SUBE” system — a new pricing mechanism that will offer reduced fares for those users who swipe their SUBE onto multiple services within one-hour periods.
“It’s one of the most significant changes in the history of public transport”, Dietrich claimed, in a clear attempt to ease concerns among those users who can easily clock up a half dozen fares in one day if travelling from outside the City.
“A person who combines services will pay just 50 percent of the second fare. From the third fare onwards, the cost drops to 75 percent”, he clarified.
-TIMES
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