Vitoria (EFE).- Euskotren will maintain until December 31, 2023 the application of the 50% discount on its train, tram and funicular services.
This has been announced by the Department of Transport of the Basque Government.
The objective of the Basque executive is to alleviate the economic situation of families.
At the same time, sustainable mobility through public transport is promoted.
Private vehicles are also discouraged, thereby reducing CO2 emissions.
Euskotren increases its users with the discount by 24%
In this sense, Transport has recalled that the Euskotren services have increased their users by 24% between the months of January and April 2023.
They have gone from 10,408,936 in the same period of the previous year to 12,974,376 people.
The temporary rate reduction applies from September 1, 2022, in the following modes of transport operated by Euskotren: On the five railway lines (E1 Matiko-Amara, and the rest, E2. E3, E4, E5 ).
Also on line 3 of the Bilbao metro, the Bilbao and Vitoria trams, and the Larreineta funicular.
The Minister of Transport, Iñaki Arriola (2i), visits the Euskotren workshops in Irun. EFE/Juan Herrero.
The discount is applied automatically through contactless Barik, Bat and Mugi cards.
In addition, there is a 50% discount -although it is purchased without a card- the monthly pass for the Larreineta funicular and the 10 Pass for the Kukullaga lift.
The discount is not applicable to one-way or return tickets purchased on paper.
Passes agreed with transport entities outside the Basque Country (Passbask, Euskopass, Txik-txak, Tranbus, Bortziri…) are also excluded from the discount.
It is intended to extend the discount to all public transport
In addition, the Department of Transport maintains its willingness to extend the 10% economic aid that it has in force to support all public transport operators in the Basque Country in the application of discounts.
In this sense, it is in talks with the Treasury Department to be able to apply this aid until the end of 2023.
It is about central government aid with a 50% discount for all public transport -including buses-, but of which the central executive only subsidizes 30% and the autonomous regions the remaining 20%.
In the case of Euskadi, the Basque Government decided that, of this 20%, it would only assume 10 percent -at a cost of 12 million until this month of June-.
The other 10% is paid by transport companies. EFE