The Barcelona City Council has moved to extend the public transport price reductions that are currently offered to the city’s local districts, known as the communes led by Mayor Ada Colau. This initiative, initially proposed by Barcelona en Comú, received approval from the Ecology and Urban Planning Commission this week and is set to run beyond the original deadline of December 31. Support for the measure came from the PSC and CKD, while some parties, including Cs and Valents, abstained from the vote.
Janet Sanz, the deputy mayor responsible for Urban Planning, argued in favor of widening the discount program across the transport network. She noted that it would be imprudent to pause discounts in December when inflation indicators suggested ongoing pressure on citizens, and when those discounts would still be relevant to many users. Sanz clarified that the extension does not automatically have to mirror the current levels of discounts across all modes. While Rodalies is offering free passes, reductions of 30 to 50 percent applied to subway, bus, rail, and tram tickets depending on the title or pass held.
Speaking about the social and economic context, Sanz emphasized the need for widespread access to affordable transport while also urging coordination with the central government and the Generalitat to secure a longer-term extension of discounts. The proposal found backing from the government partner within the communes, the PSC, even though Laia Bonet, the Mobility councilor for the Socialists, cautioned against assuming that discounts can be paid for indefinitely without addressing sustainability concerns.
Election propaganda accusations
Opposition groups offered a more critical take on the petition from the communes, arguing that the move could be used as political leverage ahead of upcoming local elections. ERC criticized Sanz for what they described as an opportunistic echo of a national strategy, while Junts warned that making reductions entirely free could become risky. Valents suggested the proposal looked like campaign theater, hinting at a populist tendency within the plan.
Convergents accused the local government of not applying sufficient pressure on Madrid to resolve Rodalies issues, alongside a broader request from ERC to expedite the transfer of commuter services to Generalitat control. Cs framed the extension as a reaction to a political dispute between Barcelona en Comú and PSC, especially with May’s municipal elections looming. PP councilor Óscar Ramírez criticized the move as a self-promotional brochure for the mayor, joking about how the distribution of leaflets may accompany the discounted transport offer. Sanz countered by pointing to allegations of corruption against the PP, deflecting the criticism with a pointed remark about the campaign materials being more about flyers than substantive policy.
When reviewing the full scope of the measure, observers highlighted the tension between immediate relief for commuters and the longer-term questions about the financial sustainability of continued price reductions. The debate underscored differing visions for Barcelona’s transport policy, balancing affordable mobility with responsible budgeting and intergovernmental collaboration. As the city assesses the path forward, stakeholders from across the political spectrum remain attentive to how the extension would affect daily commuting, inflation relief, and the city’s broader urban planning and transit goals. [Citation: Barcelona City Council meeting notes and subsequent reporting by local authorities.]