The measure, affecting the issuance of new personal TTPs and their duplicates, will not be retroactive, according to regional government sources. However, the change has ignited significant political and social controversy due to its potential impact on individuals who live, work, or commute regularly in Madrid but do not meet the residency requirement.
The personal Public Transport Card is a non-transferable card featuring the holder's name, identification number, and photograph, serving as the standard option for users over 7 years old. Under the new guidelines, only individuals registered as residents in the Community of Madrid and in certain towns in neighboring regions covered by regional transport will be eligible to apply.
The Community of Madrid maintains that the measure's impact will be minimal, affecting only an estimated 3.4% of users. Nevertheless, the decision has drawn criticism for introducing an additional administrative hurdle for a basic service like public transport.
“"They only govern to make people's lives more complicated, always targeting the most vulnerable. It is a racist and exclusionary measure."
Óscar López, Secretary General of PSOE-M and Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Function, has urged the Community of Madrid to withdraw the residency requirement. Similarly, socialist deputy in the Assembly of Madrid Javier Guardiola criticized the government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, labeling the decision as 'exclusionary' and indicative of a 'national priority' logic that disadvantages migrants.
The regional executive has defended that the measure will only apply to new applications and duplicates, not affecting existing cards. The controversy centers on whether residency should become a barrier to accessing public transport, a service relied upon daily by thousands for work, family, or educational reasons across the region.
