The public transportation company in Bucharest, STB, will decide this week on hiking the ticket fare from RON 3 to RON 5 – a measure initially proposed by mayor Ciprian Ciucu (Liberal Party PNL) but blocked by the Social Democrats (PSD) – while the subway company Metrorex ponders a second hike from RON 5 to RON 7. 

The hike at Metrorex would result in a 130% surge compared to RON 3 before January 2025, which prompted a protest initiated by the SENS party on the Declic platform.

The new STB general manager, Andrei Dinculescu, explained that the increase in the ticket fare would help the company's cash flow, not necessarily its financial resources, Profit.ro reported.

STB’s subsidy from the municipality’s budget would be reduced with the supplementary amounts derived from the higher ticket fare. In return, the cash flow would improve because the company would no longer be waiting for the transfers from the municipality.

The proposal to increase the price of subway tickets was voted on April 11 by the Metrorex Board of Directors, with the final decision to be analysed by the authorities. 

Metrorex is controlled by the Ministry of Transport, unlike the STB, which is under the municipality’s control.

"It is a proposal by the Metrorex Board of Directors. We will analyse whether this measure is sustainable," minister of transport Ciprian Șerban stated, as quoted by Economedia.ro.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Vlad Ispas/Dreamstime.com)