Public transport in Ticino in the four-year period 2025-2028 will benefit from funding from the canton and municipalities for a total of 462.1 million francs. The Council of State announced this on Monday after taking the decision at its meeting on 29 May, essentially giving continuity to the amount allocated for the previous four years (461.4 million francs). 358.3 million will be paid by the Canton, while 103.8 million by the Municipalities.
With the opening of the Monte Ceneri base tunnel in December 2020, the public transport network was reorganized and the public transport offer significantly enhanced. Although this strengthening occurred at an unfavorable time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to what was communicated by the Ticino Government, “the response of users starting from 2022 and, even more so in 2023, has proven to be up to the standards expectations”.
The usership of the TILO regional network in fact recorded an increase of 55.8% between 2019 and 2023, while the demand for public road transport expressed in passengers increased by 21.8%.
Public funding is key
Despite the growth in passengers, the regional and urban public transport service remains dependent on public subsidies, as it is commercially unprofitable. Revenues deriving from the sale of transport tickets (tickets and season passes) and ancillary income (advertising, etc.) do not cover the related costs.
Starting from 2011, the financing of public transport services by the Canton (regional and urban) and Municipalities (regional only) is approved by the Grand Council with the allocation of a four-year framework credit.
The framework credit approved by the Government for the four-year period 2025-2028, as mentioned, is in line with that of the previous four-year period (461.4 million francs) and according to the cantonal executive “it should be underlined in a positive sense that this important item of cantonal expenditure does not has undergone increases, effectively remaining constant over a period of 8 years”.
