Aragón opens 1.9 million in aid to compensate for transport discounts

The Department of Housing, Promotion, Logistics, and Territorial Cohesion of the Government of Aragon has opened the call for direct aid for a maximum amount of 1,908,657.02 euros to compensate intercity public transport operators and the Zaragoza Area Transport Consortium (CTAZ) for the loss of income derived from discounts applied to passes and multi-trip tickets during the year 2025. The call is published in the Official Gazette of Aragon, number 169, of September 1, 2026, through Order VFL/1265/2026, of July 31, and its corresponding extract.

Regulatory Framework and Financing

The order develops the execution mechanisms for the aid provided for in Royal Decree-Law 1/2025, of January 28, which approves urgent measures regarding economic, transport, and Social Security matters and to address situations of vulnerability, published in the Official State Gazette, number 25, of January 29, 2025. The system is based on articles 4 to 17 and article 63 of said regulation, and is implemented through direct award.

The call is co-financed with the State and is divided into two items:

• 780,372.86 euros from ministerial allocation, charged to financing fund “39158”.
• 1,128,284.16 euros from the Autonomous Community’s own funds, charged to fund “91002”.

The credit is estimated and its granting is conditional upon the existence of adequate and sufficient credit at the time of the resolution. The order is part of the department’s Strategic Subsidy Plan 2024-2027, within the General Directorate of Transport program to promote more affordable and sustainable public transport.

Beneficiaries and Compensable Discounts

Beneficiaries may include the concessionaires of permanent regular general-use intercity public road transport services owned by the Government of Aragon, as well as the CTAZ, provided they prove the application of the reduction in the price of passes and multi-trip tickets, VAT included, during 2025. The compensable discounts are:

• From January 1 to June 30, 2025: a discount of at least 50% off the usual price.
• From July 1 to December 31, 2025: free travel for children up to fourteen years old, a 50% discount on youth tickets, and a 40% discount on the remaining passes and multi-trip tickets.

In addition to the loss of income, the aid covers the implementation costs of launching the system for concessionaires accessing it for the first time, as well as the debt costs with credit entities derived from lower revenue, with an annual interest limit of 10.15% set by the General Secretariat of the Treasury and International Financing.

Deadlines and Processing

Applications must be submitted electronically through the e-Office of the Government of Aragon (www.aragon.es/tramites), identifying procedure number 11732 or the name “Abonos descuentos anualidad 2025”. The submission period is fifteen business days from the day following the publication of the summary in the Official Gazette of Aragon.

The General Directorate of Transport will instruct the procedure, and the resolution will be issued by the Counselor of Housing, Development, Logistics, and Territorial Cohesion, Octavio López Rodríguez, within a maximum period of three months from the end of the application period. The call is listed in the National Grants Database with the identifier 911511.

Impact

The measure ensures that the discounts applied to users of Aragonese intercity public transport during 2025 do not result in losses for the concessionaires, preserving the viability of the service and the maintenance of reduced fares. For travelers, it means the continuity of more affordable transport, jointly funded by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility and the Government of Aragon.

Source: Official Gazette of Aragon, number 169, of September 1, 2026, section I. General Provisions and section V. Announcements (official reference: BOA20260901001 and BOA20260901013).