Traveling on Cercanías, Rodalies or Renfe medium-distance trains will be free from September 1 until the end of the year for travelers who use these means of transport regularly, as announced by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, in the Debate on the State of the Nation. The measure has been approved in the Council of Ministers this Monday. It seeks, on the one hand, to alleviate the cost of transport for the most vulnerable households in the face of the current inflation crisis. And, on the other hand, to promote the use of public media since fuel prices have skyrocketed due to the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and as a response to the climate emergency.
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The state bonus of 100% of the price on the trains that depend on the State Administration will be executed in two ways. In the first place, with the creation of a new subscription at no cost to be able to travel during the four months on these trains and that will only require a deposit. This will reach 10 euros, in the case of Cercanías and Rodalies, and 20 euros, in the medium distance.
The deposit will be returned to users at the end of the planned period if 16 journeys or more have been made on the subsidized lines, as explained by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda in an informative meeting and reported by the Government spokesperson minister, Isabel Rodríguez, at the end of the Council after nine at night.
In the department headed by Minister Raquel Sánchez, they admitted this Monday that they have not yet decided whether this temporary subscription will be personal or not, “although everything indicates that it will be.”
I also save on regional subscriptions
The second case affects users of monthly, quarterly or annual multi-trip tickets (which include buses, metro or tram) and who depend on regional transport consortiums. The Government will subsidize the regional institutions the part that corresponds to Renfe of the total price of these integrated passes during the last four months of 2022, which will also be added to the general discount of 30% also approved by the central Executive at the end of June.
Thus, the discount for Renfe routes in multi-trip tickets must be applied by regional consortiums to season tickets, which, for their part, have to accept the state bonus with this condition.
Specifically, “the Ministry of Transport will assume the payment of the amount that the consortiums [comunidades autónomas] they pay Renfe for trips on Cercanías and Rodalies provided that the consortiums reduce the price of these integrated tickets/subscriptions in the proportional part of the amount that they stop paying to the public company”, they indicate in this department.
The Government undertakes to “strengthen the information staff at Renfe stations” and “prioritizes rush hour management” to facilitate access to these measures.
50% discount on high speed
Along with this bonus, the Executive has approved this Monday a 50% discount on existing Avant subscriptions (high-speed medium distance that depends on the State) and on private services of this same type of transport (Ouigo) in routes in which there is no public offer.
In this way, the Government responds to criticism of the priority it gave in April to the general subsidy for fuel of 20 cents, for private transport, which has multiplied from all fronts since then. Mainly because it is regressive, since it does not focus on the most vulnerable. Also because the oil companies absorb it. Because it encourages car use in the midst of a climate emergency. And because fiscally it is the least self-sufficient of the equivalent measures.
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