Public transport demand in AMBA remains below pre-pandemic levels

Public transport demand in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) remains approximately 20% below pre-pandemic levels. This decline affects buses, trains, and subways, driven by factors such as increased fares, reduced service frequencies, teleworking, and shifting mobility habits.

In the district of Pilar, bus usage fell 18.1% year-on-year in September, recording 1,976,386 trips compared to 2,412,695 in the same month of the previous year. Data from the National Secretariat of Transport via SUBE cards shows that all seven municipal bus lines in the district experienced losses. The 510B line, operated by Pilar Bus S.A., saw the most significant drop at 26.8%.

Across the broader AMBA region, bus demand decreased by 12.2% in the classic metropolitan area and 13.0% in the expanded area. The railway sector also shows significant declines, with the Mitre line seeing a drop of over 40%, the Sarmiento line down by nearly 30%, and the Roca line by approximately 20%.