The governor of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, decided a increase in bus fares of 10% in December, additional to the expected inflation formula plus 2% monthly adjustment, with which the increase in tickets will climb to almost 15%.
The increase will apply starting Monday, December 1 at 0 a.m. on all buses that circulate exclusively through Greater Buenos Aires (GBA) and that do not enter the City. They are the lines that go from 200 up.
With this measure, the province of Buenos Aires seeks to calm a serious conflict that is brewing with the bus companies, which are asking the government of Javier Milei for a similar resolution, before the situation leads to a strike by workers or lockout employer.
Communiqué from the 5 business chambers of groups of the AMBA pic.twitter.com/dQnVXO8DsG
— aaeta (@aaeta_arg) November 28, 2025
Given the complicated financial situation of the companies, the business chambers They seek that the Nation advance the payment of subsidies and recognize the agreement signed jointly with the drivers. Otherwise, from next week the public transport service will begin to suffer.
The five chambers of companies that operate in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) sent a letter this Friday to the Undersecretary of Automotive Transportation, José Manuel Urdiroz, and reminded him that They still do not have “the economic conditions to pay all salaries on Thursday, December 4, corresponding to November”.
For this, they demand that the joint agreement signed in July with the Automotive Tram Union (UTA) be recognized, which provides a 5% salary increase for drivers and was approved by the Ministry of Labor. But the Ministry of Economy did not incorporate it in the calculation of the buses’ costs – the “technical rate” -, so the funds are not guaranteed with rates or subsidies.
Previously, the bus owners had anticipated that they could pay this month’s salaries in 2 installments and the bonuses in up to 6 installments.
The problems of the bus companies have been going on for about 10 years, when they began to adjust their income to face increasing costs. Since 2016 they receive 30% less money for each ticket.
The conflict intensified in mid-2022, when inflation soared. And it persists despite the rate increases that this Government ordered starting in 2024; the most recent, 10% this month.
🚍Bondi Index September 2025.
The real cost of the unsubsidized ticket in the AMBA reaches $1,713, while the technical rate (state compensation + tickets sold) is $1,092 per trip.#AAETACommunica pic.twitter.com/5zNs5YApv2
— aaeta (@aaeta_arg) October 21, 2025
According to the Bondi Index, prepared by the Argentine Association of Automotive Transport Entrepreneurs (AAETA) – where Metropol, the second largest company, weighs in, behind DOTA-, The Ministry of Transportation recognizes $265,779.1 million per month to operate the system, equivalent to a “technical rate” of $1,092.28, which is made up of tickets sold and state compensation..
However, the real costs are $351,910.05 million per month or $1,550.75 per passenger, not counting the Value Added Tax (VAT) of 10.5%.
The difference, of $86,130.94 million per month or $458.87 per ticket, is reflected in a loss of quality of service, with fewer frequencies and renewal of cars, which worsen their condition day by day.
According to data from the Interdisciplinary Institute of Political Economy (IIEP) of the UBA and Conicet, the national government sent subsidies to the bus system for the equivalent of $707,119 million updated for inflation so far from 2025 until November, 40% less than in the same period of 2024.