This Tuesday, September 22, residents of Valencia and its metropolitan area will have the opportunity to travel free of charge on all public transportation services in the region. Metrovalencia, Metrobús, TRAM d’Alacant and TRAM de Castelló will offer their services free of charge throughout the day, as part of the Car-Free Day, which closes the European Mobility Week. The measure is part of a campaign promoted by the Generalitat with the slogan ‘Choose public transportation. Connect’, which seeks to promote the use of collective and sustainable means of transport at the expense of the use of private vehicles.
Access to Metrovalencia stations will be facilitated by keeping the validation gates open and disabling the control machines. Users will not need to present or validate any ticket to board the transport. The vending machines will continue to work, but they will clearly show that the service is free. In addition, 500 ten-trip bonobuses will be hidden in the EMT buses, which passengers can find and keep as a reward for using public transport.
The free day is added to the current bonuses for certain groups. Children under 14 years of age and people residing in municipalities affected by the October floods will continue to travel free of charge. For the rest of users, a 40% reduction in passes and multi-trip tickets is maintained. Likewise, children under 31 years of age can benefit from discounts of up to 50% on monthly tickets through the Móbilis 30 card, which reinforces equitable access to public transport.
Although the initiative seeks to promote more sustainable mobility, important challenges persist, especially in the connection between the city of Valencia and its peripheral areas. According to researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de València, the transport offer at the entrances is still limited, and traffic in these areas has grown by 5% in recent years, despite the improvement in the main urban roads. The dependence on the car remains a key obstacle to changing habits.
Parallel to the free day, activities are carried out in neighborhoods, schools and universities. Among them, guided tours of the Traffic Management Center, theatricalized routes and the Metrominuto challenge stand out, which invites you to time urban routes. In addition, awareness campaigns are carried out at metro stations with environmental educators who promote the reduction and separation of waste, reinforcing the sustainability message at all levels of the transportation system.