Porto makes public transport free

Porto authorities have launched a free public transport program for city residents. Now holders of the Porto municipal card will be able to use most types of transport operating within the agglomeration for free. To participate in the program, you must have a valid card and annually confirm your right to free travel.

The new measure applies to the metro, city and suburban buses, commuter trains, as well as the Guindais funicular. In the future, they plan to include river traffic between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in the program. Thus, residents will be able to move freely throughout the region using a single transport network.

Initially, city authorities expected to launch the program only at the beginning of 2027, but later decided to speed up its implementation. Free transport was one of Mayor Pedro Duarte’s main campaign promises. According to the city administration, the abolition of tolls should encourage more people to give up their personal cars in favor of public transport, which will help reduce road congestion and improve the environmental situation.

However, the decision caused mixed reactions. Representatives of neighboring municipalities believe that the program creates an unequal playing field, since only residents of Porto can take advantage of it. At the same time, thousands of people from other localities come to the city every day to work, study or for personal matters, and for them the cost of travel remains the same.

The mayor himself admits that free travel will not be a universal solution to transport problems. Therefore, the authorities intend to simultaneously invest in the development of urban infrastructure, including expanding the network of dedicated lanes for public transport to make travel faster and more convenient. According to the administration, the combination of free travel and modernization of the transport system should increase the popularity of public transport and reduce the number of cars on the city streets.