Subsidised public transportation in Slovenia expanded

Ljubljana – Slovenia will significantly expand subsidised public transportation starting on 1 September in an effort to boost ridership and limit the use of cars.

Students with subsidised transport passes will no longer be limited to the home-to-school route, they will be able to travel on all routes in Slovenia year-round.

The cost will remain the same, at EUR 25 for a monthly pass and EUR 200 for an annual pass that will now be valid for the whole year, not just the duration of the school year.

“The simplification of the subsidised pass system will therefore benefit particularly those who live at multiple addresses or attend two universities. The process of purchasing tickets will also be simplified,” Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec explained recently.

Tickets can be bought online and with little input of personal data since the system will pull all the data automatically from official records.

“A key benefit is that the whole process from applying for a subsidised ticket to the actual purchase has been digitalised. This is the first step,” said Vrtovec.

There are also family passes for travel during public holidays. The aim is to encourage the use of public transport and to enable families or groups with children to go on trips and holidays more cheaply than by using cars.

The Infrastructure Ministry has also reached an agreement with the municipalities of Ljubljana and Maribor to provide free bus transport for pensioners aged 65 and over. It will be available from the beginning of October.

After already enjoying free regional and intercity transport, pensioners over 65, disabled people and war veterans are now eligible for free transport on city buses as well.

Now that Ljubljana and Maribor are on board, the ministry will engage in talks with other municipalities which have mass transit.

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