Bus service to be free from 2023!

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Radio Sintonia:

The Minister Franquis and the councils reach an agreement for the application of free buses and trams in the Canary Islands.

The Minister of Public Works, Transport and Housing of the Government of the Canary Islands, Sebastián Franquis, has agreed today with the transport representatives of the seven island councils the establishment of a collaboration protocol for the application in the Canary Islands of the one hundred percent bonus of the public bus and tram service, as reflected in the General State Budget (PGE) for 2023 . The Government of the Canary Islands assumes the leadership of this coordination and planning after deciding last week the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda to transfer to the Autonomous Community the 81 million euros that the PGE allocate to this bonus.

 

One of the outstanding clauses of the Protocol agreed today by the Minister Franquis and the insular transport councilors states that the implementation in the islands of free public land passenger transport is applied through the Canary Islands Resident Bonus and its modalities. These vouchers, which are already used in the seven islands, will be the tool to travel in a subsidized way in buses and tram with a minimum of 15 trips per month.

However, given that other island and municipal multi-trip titles are currently being subject to the 50% bonus provided for in Decree-Law 11/2022, a transitional period of two months is established, until February 28, 2023, in which the 100% discount will be allowed to be applied to titles that are currently being subsidized at 50% even if they are not linked to the Canarian Resident Bonus and its modalities.

Another of the clauses of the Protocol agreed today between the regional councilor of Transport and the island councilors refers to the proportional distribution of the 81 million that the State will transfer to the Autonomous Community to apply this bonus.

The distribution of these funds that has been agreed with the councils, including the municipalities that have their own bus services, will transfer a first payment of 80% (64.8 million euros) of the total amount of aid, following the same criteria established by the State for the distribution of 50%. The second payment will be made before June 30, 2023, contributing the remaining 20% depending on the real travelers who have been held in the Canarian Resident Pass and its modalities until May 31, 2023.

The Protocol agreed today will be valid until the completion of the actions provided for therein or, failing that, December 31, 2023. Both the Minister Franquis and the island councilors agreed that a new impetus must be given to collective public transport in view of the fact that the increase in fuel costs is having a very notable impact on the ability of citizens to be able to assume the cost of transport associated with forced daily mobility.
For this reason, the central government established through Royal Decree-Law 11/2022 in summer to increase aid to citizens to help promote the change to a safer, more reliable, comfortable, economical and sustainable means of transport than the private vehicle, but also on the other hand to reduce the cost of mandatory transport of daily mobility to the citizen in an extraordinary situation.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Noticias:

1.7 million new travelers in the Canary buses help decarbonize and improve traffic.

The free nature of the same makes public transport a trend in the islands.

Free public transport is one of the great solutions that could make the archipelago a more passable and ecological area. At the moment as a transitory measure it is achieving the desired effects with an increase in users of almost 20%.

 

The Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Housing of the Government of the Canary Islands, directed by Sebastián Franquis, has verified with the help of the island parties the good reception that has had the application in the Archipelago of the measure of free public land transport that came into force on January 1 and that has meant in its first month of operation increase by 1.7 million the number of passengers who use the Guaguas and the tram, that is, an increase of 19.77% compared to the figures that were handled in December 2022, when the 50% bonus was applied in the price of the ticket.

 

These figures demonstrate the enormous reception that the application of this measure of economic savings for families has had among citizens in the face of the increase in the CPI as a result of the economic crisis generated by the war in Ukraine and the promotion of public transport to the detriment of the private vehicle, as to promote the decarbonization of mobility in the islands. In addition, they exceed all the expectations that both the Regional Ministry and the councils had foreseen before its entry into force. This continues the path taken last September, when the bonus of 50% of the price of multi-trip cards for frequent travelers came into force, which meant an increase in the number of users at that time close to 17%.

 

With the figures for January 2023 already closed by councils and town halls, it is recorded that the largest increase occurs on the island of Tenerife, with a 25.83% increase. In Gran Canaria the increase is 15.40%. In both islands the most relevant increases occur in the two capitals, both in the TITSA service for the Santa Cruz de Tenerife area and that of Municipal Guaguas for the municipality of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

 

In the rest of the islands there are also generalized increases, with special relevance in El Hierro, with 25.79%. In La Gomera there is also a significant increase of 18.49%. In Fuerteventura the increase is 13.31%. La Palma registered 12.42% and Lanzarote 8.97%, although in the latter island the data of the urban buses of Arrecife are still to be incorporated.

 

To apply free public transport of buses and trams throughout the year 2023, a collaboration protocol was signed between the Government of the Canary Islands and the seven island councils on December 29 after several previous meetings organized by the counselor Sebastián Franquis both with the island corporations and with the Ministry, to make effective the measure financed by the central executive thanks to an amendment to the General State Budget of 2023 (PGE) endowed with 81 million euros.

 

As explained after the signing of December the counselor Franquis, the protocol establishes that the 81 million that the State will transfer and that are included in the amendment to the PGE are paid by 80% to the councils in a first delivery and that the remaining 20% is made before June 30 of this year. However, and if these 81 million are insufficient, it has been agreed with the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda that, after the first quarter of application of the gratuity, its development is analyzed, it is verified if these resources are sufficient and, if not, more Money is available from the central administration.

 
According to all the studies and balances of the councils and the different transport operators, an average user of the Canarian Resident Pass or multi-trip cards uses it between 60 and 65 times a month, and in this a minimum of 15 monthly trips has been set in the previous month to be able to access the gratuity. The gratuity will be applied throughout 2023 to users of the Canarian Resident Voucher and other similar titles. Exceptionally until February 28, as a transition period for users to process the Resident Pass, the free use of other titles such as recharge cards or multi-trip passes is also allowed.

[beachlife]

I am a non resident property owner. I have a bono card. Planning to get bus when I arrive to my property on Wednesday this week (22/03/23)

Do I produce my card & pay a discounted cost of trip or are all buses free?

Not sure what the situation is or how the system works or even if buses are free or cost anything.

Would appreciate a heads up.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Please don't take this as gospel, it's just my take on it!

It's FREE for RESIDENTS who do a minimum of 15 journeys per month.

***********

Taken from my post of 07.12.22:

The initiative that subsidizes 100% of the price of transport will affect the resident bonus, young person, senior monthly subscription and monthly subscription for people with disabilities and in this way, from January 1, the current holders of any of these titles will automatically access the promotion when renewing their voucher.



On the other hand, those who have not previously had these titles will also be granted free of charge the first month, although they must pay the costs of issuing the personalized card that are 5 euros, since the current holders paid them at the time.



At the end of each month it will be verified that the minimum number of trips stipulated to be considered frequent flyers have been used and, if so, when the time comes to renew the subscription, the gratuity will be applied again.


However, in case of not reaching the stipulated number of validations, when renewing the subscription they must pay their current price that ranges between 15 or 19 euros depending on the title.

************

However, the last bit is where I come unstuck. I'm not sure if this means that you can pay 15 or 19€ and then travel free for the next month? I'm still getting the impression that it's a scheme for residents though. Perhaps someone else has first hand knowledge and can enlighten us all.

I think you need to be prepared to pay (hopefully a discounted rate) and perhaps get a nice surprise!

[beachlife]

Thanks for that Tamara.

Looks like I will be having my fingers crossed on Wednesday when I get on the bus at the airport.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Noticias:

The minimum limit on bus trips in the Canary Islands has been eliminated for free travel.

The Director General of Transport of the Canary Islands Executive, María Fernández, informed yesterday at the Inter-Administrative Transport Board of the decision to eliminate the limit required to access free regular public transport of passengers in the Archipelago on buses and trams.



"The Government of Spain initially did not link this subsidy to a minimum number of trips, so the previous team of the ministry made a capricious decision without relying on any reliable data, creating, on the one hand, a strangulation to many of the councils when it comes to justifying this subsidy and, on the other, a totally pernicious effect on the way transport users themselves travel."



Fernandez explained that the General Directorate of Transport has determined to rectify since it is the councils that have the competence to discern what is the size and behavior habit of the average traveler. "The Government of the Canary Islands will not require a minimum of 15 trips to justify the subsidy," stressed the director general, "and we will ask the councils to apply the usual vouchers for the benefit of the traveler who uses public transport frequently."


At the end of last year, the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Mobility transferred the full subsidy for public transport, following the approval of the last remaining 20%.



The total amount allocated has been sent to the councils and town councils of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which are directly responsible for the programming, planning and coordination of road transport in their respective areas.



The funding for this initiative comes from aid granted by both the General State Administration and the regional administration, in a strategy that "has radically transformed collective land transport by guaranteeing its free access".