Ibarra Municipality pays 151,000 USD to freeze bus fares

The Ibarra Municipality has disbursed 151,000 USD to urban transport cooperatives to offset rising diesel costs and maintain bus fares at 35 cents. This initial payment is part of a larger municipal allocation totaling 912,738 USD intended to stabilize prices until December 2026.

The measure benefits approximately 130,000 daily users and covers 269 buses from four cooperatives: La Esperanza, 28 de Septiembre, San Miguel de Ibarra, and Campesinor. To fund this initiative, Mayor Álvaro Castillo stated that resources were reallocated from local foundation festivities and mass entertainment expenditures.

To receive the compensation, cooperatives must adhere to strict operational standards, including maintaining routes and frequencies, daily cleaning, and ensuring vehicles are equipped with GPS, emergency exits, first aid kits, and panic buttons. The municipality will conduct a new technical study in January 2027 to reassess service costs based on the updated condition of the vehicle fleet.