Arad cuts public transport fares to 1 leu per ticket, 20 lei monthly pass

From 1 August, the municipality of Arad, Romania, will reduce its public‑transport fares to the lowest levels in the country. A single ticket for trams and buses will cost 1 lei, down from the current 4.5 lei, and the most expensive monthly pass will be priced at 20 lei, compared with roughly 100 lei today.

Mayor Cătălin Bibarț said the policy aims to ease the cost of living, encourage residents to choose public transport over private cars, and help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. The city operates 53 modern trams equipped with air‑conditioning and heating, as well as electric buses and minibuses. Financially, ticket and pass revenues amounted to about 6 million lei last year – only a tenth of the transport company’s total budget – so the fare cuts will be covered by municipal subsidies without destabilising the local budget.

Arad becomes the first Romanian city to introduce such low fares, a move that could inspire similar measures in other municipalities.