Regional Government invested more than 1.5 million Euros in social fares in 2023 - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Turismo, Mobilidade e Infraestruturas

The Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, invested a total of €1,507,850.50 in 2023 in the five social fares available for public land transport, an increase of €921,269.43 compared to 2022, representing a growth of 61%.

Data provided by the Regional Directorate for Mobility reveals that 29,253 social fares were sold in 2023, distributed among the five existing fares ("30-day Fare"; "Unemployed Fare"; "Senior Fare"; "Veteran Fare"; "Free Fare"). Compared to 2022, there was an increase of 9,127 fares sold, i.e. 31% more.

This growth was largely due to the introduction of the free social fare, as established by the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

The island of São Miguel registered the highest number of social fares (24,642), corresponding to 85% of the fares sold in the Region.

As regards the night routes in São Miguel, a total of 33,016 passengers were serviced on the Ponta Delgada/Capelas, Ponta Delgada/Lagoa/Vila Franca do Campo, Ponta Delgada/Ribeira Grande and Ponta Delgada/Arrifes/Relva routes, an average of 90.35 passengers per day. There was an increase of about 12%, i.e. 3,536 more passengers than in 2022 when 29,480 passengers were transported.

In 2023, the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures invested €698,610 in these routes, €635,100 more than in the previous year, representing an increase of 9%.

Regarding the weekend routes on the islands of São Miguel, Terceira, Faial, Pico and Graciosa, 197,527 passengers were transported, corresponding to an investment of €1,125,942.40.

Overall, the Region's global investment in land passenger transport stood at €3,332,402.90, an increase of 23% compared to 2022, which saw an investment of €2,579,938.93.