The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, announced this Monday that the regional administration will promote institutional agreements with the students' home governments. The aim is to allow young people who move to Madrid for their university studies to benefit from reduced public transport fares, even if they are not registered residents in the region.
This initiative follows the implementation of new restrictions by the Regional Transport Consortium (CRTM), which now requires proof of residency for the issuance or renewal of the Personal Public Transport Card. Ayuso defended the measure, arguing that Madrid is simply applying the 2011 Consortium law, which prioritizes subsidized fares for regional taxpayers, who fund 90% of the actual cost of public transport through their taxes.
The president clarified that the new administrative control will not affect users from neighboring provinces with historical bilateral agreements. She justified the need to regulate income to support the modernization of transport lines, metro expansion, and payroll payments, describing the measure as an exercise in fiscal equity and public resource optimization.
To mitigate the impact on displaced students, the regional strategy includes signing specific addendums and agreements with students' home governments. These alliances aim to create a legal framework allowing students enrolled in Madrid universities to benefit from the youth pass subsidy, preventing the residency requirement from becoming an economic barrier.
The Ministry of Transport plans to establish a reciprocity or compensation system to ensure that foreign students maintain reduced fares for their daily commutes on Metro, EMT, and Cercanías during the next academic year. The administration thus seeks to balance the residency rule with the reality of a university community with many students coming from other regions.
