JN / Agencies
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The Municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia will assume the cost of transport passes for Higher Education students residing in the municipality, this Friday was announced by the municipality, which estimates that the measure will reach around 5000 students.
The cost of passes will be borne by the city council from October 1st and the registration process with the municipal services starts on September 7th.
At stake is the price of public transport passes for students residing in the municipality on the south bank of the Douro River who attend public and private Higher Education establishments in the Metropolitan Area of Porto (AMP).
According to clarifications requested by the Lusa agency, Câmara de Gaia estimates that this measure will benefit around 5000 students, which may represent a monthly investment of 120 thousand euros.
“It is a form of support for a journey that is often painful, with tuition fees, transportation, scientific books, which are expensive (…). Higher education students serve, at the same time, the purpose of valuing public transport and, in doing so, making an environmental contribution. Public transport is probably the most powerful instrument we have to combat climate change and promote decarbonisation “, said the Mayor of Gaia , Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues.
The mayor explained that he decided to proceed with this measure because it understood it to be comprehensive from a financial point of view, from an economic point of view, but also from an environmental and sustainability point of view.
“And at this time, when we feel that families are not experiencing a situation of economic and financial ease, it is a contribution that the municipality makes, so that the school year of our students runs smoothly”, he added.
The municipality also recalls that in 2019, the single universal pass for AMP was created, with a value of 30 euros (municipal and intercity pass with 03 zones) and 40 euros (metropolitan pass) and that, in June 2020, the “family pass” for households was created, starting with the third pass, inclusive.
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