• The economic impact of the discounts is estimated to be over 70 million euros.
   
• Behavioural changes: 28% of the users surveyed make more use of public transport

Barcelona, 9th February 2023.- The integrated tickets of the Barcelona ATM have recorded a total of 254,500,541 validations between September and December 2022. The figure lies 7% lower than that for the same period of 2019 but 15.2% higher than that for the same one in 2021. Moreover, compared to the previous year, there has been a fall in the number of validations of the T-casual pass (14%) and the same number of validations of integrated tickets without any discounts.

A greater increase in the number of single-operator tickets compared to integrated ones The effect of the discounts has had a greater impact on single-operator tickets, particularly taking into account the free nature of some tickets such as the recurring Renfe pass. The increase in the blocs compared to 2021 has been 15.2% for integrated tickets and 32.9% for single-operator tickets (free recurring tickets are single-operator tickets).

A greater increase in the number of single-operator tickets compared to integrated ones

The effect of the discounts has had a greater impact on single-operator tickets, particularly taking into account the free nature of some tickets such as the recurring Renfe pass. The increase in the blocs compared to 2021 has been 15.2% for integrated tickets and 32.9% for single-operator tickets (free recurring tickets are single-operator tickets).

Renfe is the operator whose demand has increased most due to the effect of its free tickets

While the increase in the number of validations throughout the system (single-operator and integrated tickets) has totalled 19% during the third quarter compared to 2021, Renfe’s validations have risen by 27%.

55% of these validations for Rodalies have taken place with the free recurring ticket, which has been the main one accounting for the increase in demand for this operator.

Sales of integrated tickets

While the third four-month period usually generates more fare-related income than the second one, 2022 bucks this trend by being the one that contributes the least, a change obviously attributed to the effect of the discounts applied to the integrated tickets.

The economic impact of the discounts

Overall, it is estimated that the impact of the discounts totals €70.09M, a cost incurred by the State and the ATM (through the contributions of the Generalitat, Barcelona City Council and the AMB), depending on the percentage of the discount on each ticket. With regard to the above, the T-usual pass with a 50% bonus is the one that generates the highest cost within the system.

Distribution of the discounts

As for the distribution of the discounts, it is calculated that the State, through the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA), has allocated the following budget in order to cover its share: €46.85 M to the Generalitat (includes the rest of Catalonia) and €17.35M to the AMB (Metropolitan Area of Barcelona) (includes social tickets). The Generalitat and the AMB must now transfer the corresponding part to the ATM to cover the €50M in discounts supported by the integrated system of the Barcelona ATM.

With respect to the operators, the TMB (underground and bus) generates the greatest impact due to the discounts (60%), a figure that corresponds to its usual weighting in the validations of the system. In second place comes Renfe, with 11% of the weighting in the distribution of the compensations.

Changes in behaviour due to the discounts: 28% of users make more use of public transport

According to a survey commissioned by the Barcelona ATM, 52.6% of users have changed their habits when it comes to using public transport as a result of the discounts. 33.5% of the total number of people surveyed (2,837) do so to change their tickets, 28.4% say they take public transport more regularly and 21.7% have changed their means of transport.

Changes in the main means of transport

According to the survey,Rodalies has been the main beneficiary of the increase in the number of users due to the price discounts.

Moreover, we should mention that 75% of the people who have replaced their private vehicles with public transport (encouraged by the discounts) express their intention to maintain this change when the normal prices return. 65% of those who say they use public transport more because of the discounts anticipate maintaining this more intensive use once the normal prices return.

The impact of free Renfe tickets on other tickets and transport operators

According to the users contacted, the discount policy has also led to a change in behaviour in terms of the use of tickets, especially due to the effect of the free Renfe ones. In this case, we should highlight that 50% of users who have changed their ticket and switched to Renfe’s recurring one previously used the T-casual pass. The bus lines concurrent with the Rodalies Renfe corridors have also been particularly affected and have not seen as much of an increase in demand for the same reason.

Related Documents