From 1 March taking a bus to Bologna will be more expensive than in London or Milan. The ticket will pass from 1.50 to 2.30 eurosan increase of 53%. The figure beats the rates of much larger cities, such as Milan (2.20 euros) and even London (2.10 euros).
The increase, wanted by the mayor Matteo Lepore, was approved despite protests. The Municipality justifies it by talking about lack of state funds and the need to maintain transport services without cuts. But for the citizens it will be a double blow: in addition to the expensive tickets, the rates for parking will also increase, which will reach 3.90 euros per hour in the center.
Why do tickets cost more?
The increase is explained with a series of factors. The Municipality accuses the government of cutting the funds to public transport, leaving Bologna and other short cities of resource. In fact, the National Transport Fund has allocated Alone 120 million euros, but 800 million would be needed to cover costs at national level.
To respond to criticism, Bologna has chosen to focus on the increase in services, starting from the electrical buses, the cycle trams and tracks, also obtaining a primacy: in 2024 it was the only city of the Po Valley to respect the limits of PM10 .
According to the Mayor, also, 83% of users use a subscription, therefore the impact of the increase will weigh mainly on occasional tourists and visitors. In any case, to avoid that the increase heavily affects the weakest bands, the Municipality has promised to find funds to facilitate precarious workers and small businesses. At the moment, however, there are no details on how these aid will work.
Who will pay more?
The increase, however, is not the same for everyone. The single ticket increases by 53%, but the subscriptions suffer more content increases. In detail:
- The City Pass from 10 runs, for example, rises to 1.90 euros per race (before it was 1.40);
- The annual subscription costs 10 euros more;
- The monthly subscription increases by 3 euros.
The exemptions for the youngest remain: children under 14 travel for free, as well as those who accompany children to school. Even students up to 19 years with Isee under 30 thousand euros will continue to benefit from gratuity. To pay more will therefore be especially tourists and travelers, who will have to pay the full ticket Without the possibility of discounts or subsidized rates.
Bologna more dear in Milan and London: comparison with other cities
Bologna, in this way, exceeds many Italian and European cities for the cost of the ticket. But the real problem is that it does not have an alternative financing model like other metropolises. Bologna collects only 14 million euros in a tourist tax and decided to allocate them to culture. A political choice that, according to the mayor, serves to keep museums, theaters and libraries open. Consequently, users of public transport pay the price.
Comparing Bologna with some cities, it emerges that:
- In Milan the ticket costs 2.20 euros and is worth 90 minutes on a meter, tram and bus;
- In Florence the price remains 1.50 euros for 90 minutes, thanks to the 40 million tourist tax that the Municipality reinves you in transport;
- In London the ticket for buses and trams costs 2.10 euros, but those who enter the center by car pays 15 pounds of congestion charge, money that are used to finance public transport.
