It’s official and coming soon. After months of negotiations since the Buenos Aires city government took control of the Subte service in January 2012, tickets will cost 3.50 pesos starting on Tuesday. The judicial decision involves as well a “social fare” of 2.50 pesos for those receiving state benefits.
Costs for commuters will be jumping from 2.50 to 3.50 pesos. When all 6 subway lines began to be operated by the administration of Mayor Mauricio Macri last year, tickets cost 1.10 pesos already representing a 127-percent hike.
MST socialist movement legislator Alejandro Bodart has announced he will be lodging an appeal against the ruling of judge Pablo Mantarás allowing the increase. Bodart accuses the Metrovías concessionary company of “inflating” prices –he says the firm is “including maintenance and infrastructure costs as their own when they belong to the City»- and demands local authorities to reduce the “980-million pesos subsidy program.”
In the meantime, the Sbase company running the service under the scope of the city has set a 2.50 pesos “social fare” for beneficiaries of social plans.
“70 percent of the people who take the subway takes a coffee everyday that costs 15 pesos so that person could afford a 3.50 pesos tariff and with that money help improving investments and the service,” Sbase chief Juan Manuel Piccardo said defending the 40-percent hike.
buenosairesherald.com