The
buses
of the City and Greater Buenos Aires already circulate with
reduced frequencies
due to the lack of
subsidies
.
The companies claim that they do not even have the money to pay this Tuesday the
$140,000 bonus
to the drivers of the Automotive Tram Union (UTA), which could trigger a
union conflict
.
And meanwhile, the Minister of Economy,
Luis Caputo
, opened the door for the Nation to withdraw as soon as possible from “decision-making” regarding automotive transportation in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA), where it contributes with tariff compensations.
The deterioration in the quality of this public service is adding chapters while inflation rates continue with double monthly digits.
In silence, since this week the companies that own the buses have already
begun to put fewer units on the streets,
as a way to protect themselves financially in the face of an economic equation that does not cover them.
According to data from the
Argentine Association of Automotive Transport Entrepreneurs (AAETA)
, where the
Metropol
group , the second largest behind
DOTA
, weighs especially heavily , passengers pay an average of $200 per trip and the Nation, City and Province grant subsidies of $400 further.
But
the “real” cost is $1,000
.
The cost calculation was last updated in December with prices in force as of September 2023, so increases in
diesel
, spare parts and
joint payments
were not accounted for .
To make up for that difference of $400 per trip, some companies decided to lower the number of kilometers traveled.
In
January it was 8% less
than the previous year, with the particularity that because it is a month in which there are holidays, the frequencies are already lower than during the rest of the year.
The due date for payment of the non-remunerative bonus of $140,000 to drivers is this Tuesday.
In the chambers they say that not all of them have enough money to pay it and they swear that they have the understanding of
Roberto Fernández
, general secretary of the UTA, and its bases.
But sources from the union sector consulted by
Clarín
They are convinced that there is money for workers.
Transport, a conflict at the door
Meanwhile, the national government wants to withdraw from this conflict soon and leave it in the hands of the head of Government of the City of Buenos Aires,
Jorge Macri
, and the governor of the province,
Axel Kicillof
.
In Economía they clarify that
this would not mean, for the moment, stopping contributing money for tariff compensations.
In an interview with the
LN+
channel , Caputo said: “Nation subsidizes interjurisdictional routes, such as those that go from CABA to the GBA.
And the province subsidizes its own routes.
Interjurisdictional routes are national jurisdiction and those are subsidized by the Nation.
There is a gray point that is the City
, because it still has 31 lines that have not been transferred (as happened with the subway in 2012).
It was arranged that only 45% would be subsidized by the Nation.
What we are promoting is to give more entity to the
Metropolitan Agency
so that it takes on greater authority and that they resolve between CABA and the Province,
and the Nation can get away from the transportation issue.”
The political situation is complemented by a broken dialogue between the
Ministry of Transportation
- which formally still belongs to the Ministry of Infrastructure (without a minister) - and Economy, its "mother portfolio."
According to Open Budget data, the
Transportation Infrastructure System Trust Fund (FFSIT)
, through which subsidies are channeled to groups, has demanded public spending so far of
$112,139.19 million
, 23. 4% of the current budget credit (with 13.4% of the year 2024 elapsed), of which $54,922.22 million were paid.
In the interior of the country, the situation is no less problematic.
Córdoba
resolved last week to increase rates to $700. In
Paraná
, the capital of Entre Ríos, businessmen maintain an employer lockout and only circulate from 5 to 14;
They ask for a fee greater than $1,000.
And in
Formosa
there has been a total bus stoppage for two weeks.
NE