Aarhus City Council has decided that bus and light rail tickets inside Aarhus Municipality will cost a flat 15 kroner from 2027.
The council has agreed to lower the price of tickets on municipal buses and the light rail. DR reports that a single ticket covering travel within the municipality will cost 15 kroner from next year.
A commuter traveling from Lystrup into the center of Aarhus pays around 36 kroner each way today, according to DR. The cheaper ticket does not apply to the blue buses.
The municipality has set aside 35 million kroner a year for the scheme. The lower fare is part of the city’s budget for the 2027 to 2030 period, where it is set out as the Aarhusbillet.
Passengers welcome the lower fare
DR spoke with passengers at bus stops in Aarhus on Friday. Student Jacob Falk said he takes the bus every day and expects to save a large amount on a student budget.
Sara Dahl, also a student, told DR that public transport can easily cost her 100 kroner a week. She said the cheaper ticket may lead her to take the bus instead of her bicycle.
Andreas Jones, who works in deliveries, said he uses his bicycle a great deal. He added that cheaper tickets appeal in winter, when conditions get slippery.
Cheaper tickets while social services face savings
Per DR, the 35 million kroner for cheaper tickets comes as the social services area faces cuts. Sara Dahl, who works in the social sector herself, said she feels squeezed by the council’s priorities.
Anna Chili, another student, took the opposite view. She said savings have to be made in some areas to help others, and called the decision a reasonable priority.
Mayor Anders Winnerskjold of the Social Democrats welcomed the measure making it into the budget. He said the lower fare is an incentive to choose something other than the car, and pointed to significant congestion problems in Aarhus.
The mayor said the city is investing in mobility and in a greener, cheaper alternative aimed at groups with less money. He told DR that residents are free to disagree with the priority.
Winnerskjold added that by far the largest share of the municipal budget goes to core welfare. He named services for the oldest and youngest residents, as well as the social sector, as the main areas of spending.
