The current urban transport rate in Bariloche, fixed since last January at 115 pesos, has its days numbered. The municipality launched andThe process to update the ticket priceas requested by the company Mi Bus, and called a public hearing for next Monday, May 29.
The concessionaire intends to bring the flat rate to 162 pesos and presented for this purpose the respective cost report, which has already had a preliminary evaluation by the technical staff of the Undersecretary of Transit and Transportation. Now it will be the turn of the users in general, who will be able to know the details of the order and present their opinions andNo public hearing.
The call for open consultation is a mandatory condition for any public service tariff modification and is non-binding. In fact, In most of the previous hearings, the voices rejecting the increases were massive. but they did not influence the final decision of the Executive, which validated them without major deviations from what was requested.
The last public hearing was held in July of last year, after a troubled process that included at least two suspensions: the first due to a driver strike and the other due to a protest by the audience participants, who complained because they were not present the highest authorities of the municipality. There were also questions because it was not transmitted via streaming.
That time the company had requested an increase of more than 100%, with the idea that it would be valid annually. But now he proposed a more modest adjustment, of just 40%, with the probable intention of driving another increase before the end of the year. The regulatory framework recognizes the right to request recompositions every six months.
The Public hearing will be held on Monday 29 at 6:00 p.m. in the municipal press room. Those interested in participating as speakers have the deadline to register until Friday the 26th at 1:00 p.m. Each exhibitor will be empowered to present their position within a maximum period of 5 minutes. There will also be the possibility of presenting opinions in writing.
Once that stage has been completed, the municipal Executive will have until June 8 to issue an opinion and the rate set there would begin to apply a couple of weeks later, when the SUBE system is adjusted.
Transport subsidies, the big issue
In statements made to this medium last month, the manager of the Mi Bus company, Juan Pablo Follonier, said that they urgently needed a rate update but to determine the amount (they had not yet formally presented it) they needed know the scope of the subsidy that the company will receive in the future both from the province and from the Nation.
The municipality has already guaranteed their own contribution that is measured in liters of diesel oil and that is updated on its own. Follonier recognized that the regular cost structure made up of the wages, taxes, parts, insurance and unit amortization increases at a rate equal to or greater than inflationbut it is not entirely transferable to the price of the ticket, given that today the subsidies represent 70% of the income of the system, and only 30% is covered by what the passengers pay.
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