BRATISLAVA, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Slovakia will cut second-class passenger train fares by 50 percent for one month starting from Oct. 1, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced Wednesday after a government meeting.
The measure, approved on the proposal of the Slovakian Transport Ministry, will initially remain in effect for 30 days. Subsequently, it will be reviewed on a monthly basis, Fico said.
"Slovakia is currently facing a sharp rise in fuel prices with a direct impact on the economy and households, whose costs for private car transport are increasing. One of the possible solutions is to shift from private car transport to passenger rail transport," the ministry said in its explanatory report.
The measure is primarily intended for people who use trains regularly to commute to work or school, or for other daily needs. The 50 percent reduction will apply to all second-class, single-journey tickets, as well as weekly and monthly season tickets.
The temporary fare reduction is expected to reduce railway operators' revenues by about 4.3 million euros (4.9 million U.S. dollars) over the 30-day period, while increasing their costs by around 1 million euros (1.14 million dollars).
The government is also considering measures for regional bus transport. Slovakian Transport Minister Jozef Raz has been tasked with preparing by Sept. 30 a proposal under which the state will reimburse self-governing regions for one third of their spending on suburban bus services if they reduce fares by 30 percent.
