It was brought forward in the last days of December. It was repeated in the first days of the year 2025. They were specified on La Moncloa’s own page last Monday, January 20. And today, January 22, they have fallen. At least for now because the decree that contemplated aid for public transport has not been approved.
177 votes. These have been the votes that have confirmed the “no” to the omnibus decree that the Government intended to approve in the Congress of Deputies and which has not gone ahead. With the votes against Junts and the Popular Party, the decree that contemplated an increase in pensions, money for those affected by the Valencian DANA and transport aid have not gone ahead.
El Omnibus. The Omnibus Decree is a formula that the Government has already used on other occasions and that became famous in 2022 to extend the use of masks.
These types of decrees contemplate various measures of all kinds that have little to do with each other. In this way, the different parliamentary groups are forced to vote in their favor to move forward with the measures proposed by them but, at the same time, others that are complicated in nature are also resolved.
What aid has been lost? The transport aid committed for 2025 was the same as that which has been applied throughout 2024, which had been extended until June 30, 2025. However, it will fall from tomorrow as it has not passed the litmus test of the Congress of Deputies.
The lost aid is summarized in:
- Free quarterly subscriptions for Cercanías, Rodalies and Media Distancia services with predefined origin and destination. Free high-speed service between Alicante and Murcia, Ourense and A Coruña and Segovia and Madrid, as well as the Cercanías and Metric Gauge services of Asturias and Cantabria or the Avant Express service from Barcelona to Tortosa, excluding the origin/destination Barcelona- Tarragona.
- 50% discounts for recurring users of Avant railway services, declared as a public service obligation, and a 50% discount on all Avant multi-trip tickets (Plus Card Subscription, Plus 10 Card or Plus 10-45 Card).
- Free multi-trip passes and tickets on state-owned bus lines.
- The reduction of at least 50% on multi-trip tickets for urban public transport (including public bicycles), dependent on a City Council or an Autonomous Community (30% of the reduction was provided by the State). In the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, aid for urban public transport was 100% throughout 2025.
How much was the aid?. These aids that the Government intended to approve with the Óminbus Decree that has not gone ahead have been estimated at 1,600 million euros. The money allocated was to cover aid that was already being applied in 2024 and which was extended until June 30, 2025, adding the novelty that it would also cover public bicycle services.
What happens now? The problem is that these free or discounted multi-trip tickets or tickets have already been selling during the first days of the year. As stated in The Countryministerial sources have assured that those who have already obtained one will be able to continue using it throughout the entire semester since “they have an acquired right.”
However, as of tomorrow these reduced-Price or free transport passes or multi-trip tickets should no longer be active. The question remains as to what will happen to the titles issued by the town councils and the autonomous communities since the financing of the aid came partly from the Government and the remaining amount from the regional institutions.
Will they return? It is something that is not clear either. At least in the short term. From Junts and from the Popular Party, which with their refusals have prevented the Omnibus Decree that contemplated aid from being carried out, they have stressed that they are willing to support aid for transport or the increase in pensions but that both measures must be voted on separately from those contemplated in what was voted today.
Photo | Arne Müseler and WorldOfSoftware
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