Argentine subway commuters see fares spike overnight by 370%

By ISABEL DEBRE
Associated Press

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentine commuters in Buenos Aires are being hit by an abrupt 360% increase in subway fares, one of the most dramatic price hikes in libertarian President Javier Milei’s harsh budget austerity campaign. After weeks of hearings, an Argentine judge on Thursday lifted an order that had temporarily blocked the scheduled increase in subway fares, clearing the way for the change to take effect Friday morning. Public transport fares are a sensitive issue across Latin America, where outrage triggered by metro price hikes have unleashed mass protests in the past. Overnight, the fare hike in Buenos Aires from 125 pesos (14 cents) to 574 pesos (64 cents) exacerbated a painful cost of living crisis in Argentina.