Drastic Price Hikes for Public Transport in Bucharest: Major Impact on Seniors with Small Pensions

Public transport in the capital is set to become dramatically more expensive at a time when many seniors rely on these services for their daily journeys. Societatea de Transport București (Bucharest Transport Company) is proposing to raise the fare from 3 to 5 RON per ticket, while Metrorex intends to increase the price of a metro journey from 5 to 7 RON.

For seniors on small pensions, these rises represent a significant financial blow. If an elderly person makes an average of four journeys a day on public transport (return trips for two activities), the daily cost would increase from 12 RON to 20 RON — amounting to roughly 600 RON a month on transport alone.

The impact is even greater for seniors who do not benefit from free travel and are living on pensions of under 1,500 RON. For them, transport costs could account for nearly half their income, forcing them to forgo medical appointments, visits to family, or social activities that are essential to their quality of life.

The situation becomes still more complicated for seniors who require regular medical care at hospitals across the city. Many find themselves having to choose between the treatment they need and the cost of getting there — a stark dilemma that can seriously damage their health.

Organisations working to protect the rights of older people are warning that these increases will deepen the social isolation of seniors, who will avoid non-essential journeys because of the higher costs. Such isolation can have severe consequences for the mental and physical health of elderly people.

The proposed increases are due to be reviewed next week, and local authorities are being urged to find solutions to protect vulnerable groups — including by expanding free travel programmes or subsidising transport for seniors on low incomes.