The Government has approved a budget of 364 million euros in subsidies for public transport in 2024. In the Council of Ministers meeting held on Tuesday, the government headed by Pedro Sánchez will authorize a direct allocation of this budget to fund urban mobility in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and the Canary Islands during the 2024 financial year. The proposal originates from the Ministry of Transport, led by Óscar Puente, and maintains the same level of investment as in 2023. This tranche is designed to guarantee the operation of metropolitan transport services in these regions, ensuring reliable connections for residents, workers, and visitors. The measure emphasizes a policy that treats public transport as a core public good, essential to urban life, economic activity, and social inclusion in large metropolitan areas. By keeping funding steady, the government signals its intention to preserve service quality and coverage even amid fluctuating demand and inflation, supporting daily rhythms of cities that depend on buses, trams, and regional trains to move people across town and across the region. The decision sits within a broader effort to bolster urban mobility, address congestion, and advance climate goals by favoring cleaner, more efficient travel options.
The funds will be distributed as follows: the Madrid Regional Transport Consortium will receive 126.89 million euros; the Barcelona Metropolitan Transport Authority will obtain 149.3 million; Valencia’s Metropolitan Transport Authority will receive 40 million; and the Canary Islands Autonomous Community will receive 47.5 million euros. This allocation reflects the scale of demand and the strategic priority of maintaining robust transport networks in high-density urban areas. The money is directed toward operating costs, maintenance, and service continuity, enabling these networks to meet the daily needs of hundreds of thousands of commuters. By earmarking funds for the metropolitan transport authorities, the plan seeks to reduce the risk of service interruptions and support the livelihoods tied to the transport sector. The distribution acknowledges the distinct roles of each region’s transport ecosystem, including local, regional, and cross-regional connections, and aims to preserve the reliability of core links that connect the city centers with their suburbs.
These subsidies aim to support public transport in areas with high population density and heavy daily travel, where multiple administrations share management. The funding allocation seeks to contribute to the financial stability of these services, ensuring reliable access for workers, students, and families and supporting the broader regional economies by reducing congestion and pollution. The payments will be conditioned on the submission by the beneficiaries of a Sustainable Mobility Plan aligned with the Spanish Strategy for Sustainable Mobility 2030. The plan should promote efficient and sustainable transport planning, prioritize public transport, active mobility, and multimodal integration, and set measurable targets for service quality, accessibility, and emissions reductions. With this measure, the Government ensures the continuity of subsidies for public transport, complementing existing discounts on fares and, in some cases, free travel, as seen in the Canary Islands. The approach reinforces a long-term, policy-driven effort to make mobility in major urban areas more affordable, reliable, and cleaner, supporting economic resilience and environmental goals.