For school children

SPÖ wants subsidy for bus costs – Tyrol as a role model

In Salzburg, the "Super S'cool Card" costs 96 euros for pupils. In Tyrol, the state pays part of the cost.

(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

It is high season for the sale of free bus tickets for schoolchildren. The Salzburg SPÖ is calling for a subsidy for poor families in the state parliament on Wednesday. The focus is on Tyrol as a role model.

The staff at the Salzburger Verkehrsverbund GmbH customer center have a lot of work at the moment. Many parents have already bought school bus tickets for their children in the summer. But in September, between 5,000 and 10,000 applications regularly arrive at the center.

The "big" free school pass called the Super S'cool Card is very popular. Almost 30,400 were sold last year. It allows pupils to use all buses and trains in the city and province of Salzburg for one year. However, the Salzburg SPÖ believes that many families will not be able to afford the now 96 euros. Tomorrow, Wednesday, the Social Affairs Committee in the Salzburg state parliament will discuss a motion tabled by MP Bettina Brandauer in January.

"We want a social school ticket for minimum income recipients in Salzburg like the one in Tyrol. There, the state covers 80 of the 99 euro ticket costs," explains the social spokesperson. She argues that the funding is appropriate. The money comes in the form of a voucher that can only be used for the free school ticket. "It's the many small costs during the school year that together represent a major hurdle for poorer families," says Brandauer. Children could then also go on school trips without paying extra for the bus.

In Tyrol, 1400 of the 2800 people entitled to the subsidy recently claimed it. In Salzburg, around 3100 households received minimum benefits in 2023.