Bus companies in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) declared an emergency over a $128 billion state debt and rising diesel prices. They threatened deeper frequency cuts, especially at night, if no deal is reached by Thursday, April 30. Services have already dropped up to 40%, per a UBA report.
Bus companies representing AMBA lines, including CTPBA, CEAP, CETUBA, and CEUTUPBA, issued a joint statement on April 27 declaring an emergency. They cited an "insostenible" situation due to a $128 billion official debt in compensations and diesel prices jumping from $1,744 to over $2,100 per liter.
The sector has already cut frequencies amid no responses from national and Buenos Aires provincial governments. A report from the UBA's Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política (IIEP) shows circulation down 30% overall and up to 40% on interjurisdictional routes in April, linked to the Iran war's impact on energy prices.
The companies demand "concrete, immediate, and verifiable" responses. They will meet Thursday, April 30, at the Secretaría de Transporte de la Nación. Without agreement, they plan deeper cuts in low-demand hours like nights, impacting millions of users.
The statement highlights private efforts to maintain service despite prior talks yielding no progress. Experts note the state would need to inject at least $17.5 billion monthly to cover costs.
