Spain’s socialist-led government is to launch a national public transport pass that will allow people to travel anywhere in the country on buses and trains for a flat monthly fee of €60 (£52.70).
The prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, unveiled the initiative on Monday, saying it would come into effect in the second half of January and was intended “to change the way Spaniards understand and use public transport for ever”.
News of the pass – which has yet to be publicly costed – came as Sánchez’s coalition minority government struggles to survive a series of corruption and sexual harassment allegations that have engulfed his inner circle, his Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE) and his administration.
Despite calls from his opponents to hold a snap general election, Sánchez has vowed to keep governing, insisting that Spain is on the right path and that his government has “the energy and the determination” to reach the end of the current legislature in 2027.
The prime minister hailed the transport pass as proof of his administration’s commitment to improving the everyday lives of Spaniards. He said the pass, which will cost €30 a month for those under 26, would allow people to “travel anywhere in the country” on middle-distance and suburban trains, and on national bus services.
According to Sánchez, the scheme could help some workers cut their monthly travel costs by as much as 60%.
“We’re talking about 2 million people who will be paying less each month to get to work, to get home or to do their day-to-day stuff,” he said. “That’s what governing is about: making the important things easier for ordinary people.”
The Spanish scheme follows a similar initiative in Germany, which introduced a €49-a-month ticket covering regional rail, metro, trams and bus travel across the country in 2023.
As well as announcing the scheme and defending his government’s stewardship of Spain’s growing economy, Sánchez addressed the corruption and sexual harassment allegations that have proliferated over recent weeks and months.
He said his government and his party had acted with “forcefulness and not connivance” when confronted with instances of alleged corruption, adding they were “absolutely committed to feminism” and to tackling sexual abuse and harassment.
Opposition calls for an early general election were backed over the weekend by the head of Spain’s Episcopal Conference, who said the time had come to give Spanish voters their say.
The intervention received short shrift from Sánchez, who said: “The time when bishops meddled in politics ended when this country’s democracy began.”
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