Wave of reactions after the price increases in the chain announced by Metrorex and STB in Bucharest. A petition has appeared with over 11,500 signatures
The increase in metro tickets announced by Metrorex triggers a wave of reactions in Bucharest, after the company proposed increasing the fare up to 7 lei for a trip, starting in May 2026. The decision was voted in the Board of Directors and is to be analyzed by the authorities.
The new rates would come into effect starting May 1. PHOTO: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea
“It is a proposal of the Metrorex CA. We will analyze whether this measure is sustainable”, said the Minister of Transport, Ciprian Şerban.
The price of a 24-hour subscription to the metro will be 23 lei, for a month – 196 lei, and for a year – 1770 lei, according to a document obtained by Adevărul. The new rates would come into effect starting May 1. Of course, the rest of the rates will also be adjusted.
The measure has sparked discontent among travelers. More than 11,500 people have already signed a petition initiated by SENS on the Declic platform, out of a total of 15,000 required signatures. The signatories warn that the increase would directly affect vulnerable people and could encourage the use of personal cars, with negative effects on traffic and pollution.
“Economic problems have piled up on ordinary people. The political crises that have come upon us all along, to which the austerity measures of the Bolojan government, some of which are downright ridiculous, have fallen hardest on vulnerable people. If we increase again, only 16 months away, the price of a metro journey, then we will only throw more and more people into the depths of despair and into the hands of the extreme right.”Declic representatives sent.
In parallel, the Bucharest Transport Company (STB) is also taking into account the increase in tariffs for surface transport, from 3 to 5 lei for a trip. Although the company claims that the move would not necessarily bring additional revenue but would improve cash flow, the final decision has not yet been made.
Economic consultant Adrian Negrescu warns that such an increase would be unprecedented in public transport in Romania and should be supported by visible improvements in services.
“We are talking about a successive price increase with absolutely no precedent on the passenger transport market in Romania. (…) A tariff increase of such magnitude should be supported by a solid economic motivation and visible in the quality of services”, he said in a post on Facebook.
Criticism also targets the system's structural problems: old trains, lack of air conditioning in some trains, delays in modernization and high budget pressure. According to recent data, Metrorex continues to depend significantly on subsidies from the state budget, which annually exceed hundreds of millions of lei.
