Why traveling on public transport in Buenos Aires has become hell

[Bingo]

Why traveling on public transport in Buenos Aires has become hell​

https://buenosairesherald.com/politics/why-traveling-on-public-transport-in-buenos-aires-has-become-hell

 

[Betsy Ross]

It has been a nightmare with the companies cutting frequency. Long lines everywhere. That's when Uber comes in handy. Milei finally threw in the towel and gave them some upfront money for April so they get back to their regular schedule.

 

[Uncle Wong]

It has been a nightmare with the companies cutting frequency. Long lines everywhere. That's when Uber comes in handy. Milei finally threw in the towel and gave them some upfront money for April so they get back to their regular schedule.

It is fascinating learning how everything works there. It seems like if you try to fix one thing (subsidies) another thing breaks. I learn a lot just reading @BuySellBA 's posts on X.

They posted about this the other day.

 

[import export]

The administration is making a mistake with the constant non stop increases. People are at their breaking point already. Public transportation in most places in the world aren't going to make money. Most cities lose money on this and its goal is to get the masses around so society can function. It should be looked at as a service so society doesn't break down.

You keep raising prices and society will break down.

 

[MikeYoung]

The administration is making a mistake with the constant non stop increases. People are at their breaking point already. Public transportation in most places in the world aren't going to make money. Most cities lose money on this and its goal is to get the masses around so society can function. It should be looked at as a service so society doesn't break down.

You keep raising prices and society will break down.

There is a common tendency right now to conflate two very different, though related, issues regarding the situation in Buenos Aires. On one hand, you have the Milei administration cutting budgets and subsidies for public transportation. It is a simple fact that nowhere on earth does public transport actually turn a profit; it is a government service that requires subsidies by design.

Naturally, when you cut that support, people assume the service will inevitably decline. On the other hand, what we are actually seeing in the headlines are short-term slowdowns and protests -paros -staged by the private colectivo companies. These are labor and business disputes, not necessarily a reflection of the systemic quality of the ride itself.

I have been taking public transport here consistently for a long time, and aside from the occasional strike, I honestly haven't noticed a decline in service for the colectivos or the subte. In fact, both are significantly better than they were a decade ago. We see a constant rotation of new buses, air conditioning has become the norm rather than the exception, and there has been no noticeable drop in cleanliness or frequency on the main fifty or so lines within CABA. The subway has also seen steady technological improvements, and every time I’ve taken it this year, it has been clean, frequent, and far from being in a state of decay.

 

[Silvia]

Unfortunately most things since Milei won have gotten worse and everything is harder now.