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Registration requirements for applying for a travel pass spark fresh controversy in Madrid
Access to the travel pass is once again straining Madrid politics and the daily lives of thousands of users. Since 15 June, the Community of Madrid has required applicants to be registered in the region, or resident in certain municipalities with an agreement, in order to request a new Personal Public Transport Card or process a replacement.
The change does not affect those who already have a card and use it normally, but it does hit people who need to apply for one for the first time. The groups most concerned include students living away from home, workers who live between regions and migrant people who have difficulty proving municipal registration.
The measure has generated criticism from the opposition and social organisations, which consider it an additional barrier for those who depend on public transport to study, work or carry out basic procedures. In a city where getting around can make the difference between accepting a job or missing an appointment, the travel pass is no minor detail.
The Government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso argues that the requirement responds to current regulations and the public cost of the system. The Regional Government insists that Madrid transport is heavily subsidised and that those discounts should benefit people who are registered as residents or who live in territories included in funding agreements.
The controversy has also forced the regional executive to open the door to agreements with other autonomous communities. The idea is that students and workers who are not registered as residents can retain access to the card if their regions assume part of the cost, following models that already exist with municipalities in Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León.
The problem is that this solution does not resolve every case. Students from outside may find a way out if agreements are signed, but migrant people without municipal registration or with difficulty obtaining an appointment remain in a more uncertain situation.
The debate reaches the plenary sitting of the Assembly of Madrid as an issue of mobility, funding and coexistence. For the opposition, the measure excludes vulnerable people and adds bureaucracy. For the regional Government, it organises access to a service paid for largely with public resources from Madrid.
The discussion demonstrates to what extent public transport in Madrid is much more than a network of metro, buses and trains. For many people, the transport card is the key that allows them to get to work, study, seek opportunities and sustain everyday life in a city that is increasingly expensive and demanding.