The possibility that Transmilenio automatically refunds users the value of the ticket if the service is interrupted due to blockages, technical failures or other eventualities has gained importance in Bogotá.
The proposal, pushed by Councilman Óscar Ramírez Vahos, comes at a time when the city is debating a possible $250 increase in the system and sitp fare, while complaints persist about the quality of service and the frequency of interruptions.like the one that happened on Monday morning, December 22nd, in the north of Bogotá by a small group of recyclers.
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The initiative presented by Ramírez Vahos to the Bogotá City Council envisages that users will automatically receive a refund of the ticket if blockages, accidents, technical failures or other events force them to get off the bus or leave stations and portals before reaching their destination.
The city council argues that it is unreasonable for a citizen to walk or seek another means of transport after paying for a service that would not have been provided under normal conditions..
The central aim of the proposal is that the user does not bear the costs of an outage that is beyond their control and that the system gives passengers the right to full service or, failing that, to a refund of their money.
“The image of citizens walking for miles already resurfaces when Transmilenio falls victim to demonstrations or a simple accident that collapses the system.. “But passengers who are already traveling with it, whether on buses or train stations, are charged a fee for a service not provided and there are no clear mechanisms for refunding the ultimately unused ticket,” said the lobbyist.
Support for the proposal is based on the extent of disruption affecting Transmilenio. In 2024 alone, the system registered 339 blockages, showing that these incidents are not isolated events, but rather a constant in daily operations.
These situations result in thousands of people having to abandon buses in the middle of the road, train stations closing unexpectedly and journeys being disrupted without notice..
Despite these impacts, there are currently no clear ticket refund mechanisms, so the financial burden falls solely on the user. Ramírez Vahos has pointed out that the image of citizens walking for miles after a demonstration or an accident that paralyzes the system continues to recur, while passengers pay for a service they do not receive.
The discussion about refunding the ticket takes place in parallel with the debate about the possible increase of $250 in the TransMilenio and Sitp fares.
The city council has questioned whether increases are being proposed without offering guarantees of continuity and quality of service.
He recalled that setting the tariff is the sole responsibility of the mayor of Bogotá and not the city council, and called for greater transparency in communication with citizens.
According to Ramírez Vahos, any adjustment to the ticket price must be accompanied by verifiable commitments, such as reducing operational outages and introducing automatic cash refunds if the system does not live up to its promises..
The announcement of a possible increase in the rate coincides with the results of the Bogotá Como Vamos citizen poll, which shows support of only 19% of the mayoral leadership in strata 1 and 2.
For the city council, this data reflects a general dissatisfaction with the quality of life in the city and warns that increasing ticket costs will only increase the president’s unpopularity.
The city council concluded that the transformation of the transport system must be accompanied by greater shared responsibility towards users so that an increase in ticket prices is reflected in noticeable improvements in the quality and reliability of the service.
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