Madrid and Barcelona Benefit from Spain’s Free Travel Plan
Madrid and Barcelona Benefit from Spain’s Free Travel Plan
Spain pushes to promote cleaner transportation by offering free seasonal tickets for suburban and regional trains, which translates into roughly 48 million journeys per month. The initiative hopes to help citizens reduce fuel consumption and reduce the cost of living during the economic uncertainties and the rising energy prices. Earlier this summer, a 30% discount for municipal public transport has been announced, with local governments in places like Catalonia topping up to 60% discount. The program will run between the 1st of September and the 31st of December.
Because the initiative is restricted to suburban rail services, it has limited applicability, as Spain’s infrastructure is not as extensive as other countries like Germany, which adopted a similar policy. Spain’s free travel plan benefits people from large metropolitan areas, specifically those living around Madrid and Barcelona. These two urban areas account for 80% of the country’s suburban rail passengers. Other regions, like Galicia in northwest Spain, will see little benefit from the policy, as the suburban rail infrastructure is limited.
While state officials have stated that the aim of this measure is to publicize the benefits of more sustainable forms of transit, it is also designed to reduce the usage of cars as an economic option, lowering the cost of living during a difficult time for Spain’s citizens. Air conditioning is up during one the hottest summers in Spain, as heatwaves prompt cities to take action to protect their citizens. The droughts have also limited the hydroelectric power output. With energy costs rising, the free and discounted tickets could mitigate the stress on lower- and middle-income households, although the measure does not affect all regions uniformly.
This initiative aligns with other policies worldwide. Cities have been experimenting with free public transport to promote sustainable mobility, alleviate traffic congestion and decrease social inequality. At the end of March, the Italian city of Genoa extended free access to some of its public transport networks, following a successful experiment which began at the end of 2021 and in an ambitious plan to become the first Italian city with free transportation. Meanwhile, the small duchy of Luxembourg became the world’s first country with free public transit in 2020.
News via Bloomberg.
