SUBE Card - Transit More Expensive for Expats?

[joemama]

So, with CKK requiring everybody to have a SUBE card I see the next logical step being a graduated fare based on income and/or residency status. So if you are on a tourist visa, your fare might be say 3 times higher than a local. This has not happened yet, but it seems like it could happen in the next year or so. What do you think?

JM

 

[Davidglen77]

I am not one for too much government intervention, but I really don't understand everybody jumping on the hysterical bandwagon of "I am not getting a SUBE card because I don't want Cristina knowing my information or where I travel to".

First, nothing of any significant value is being purchased with a SUBE card so nobody is going to calculate your income by how many subte or collectivo trips you take.

Second, just what are they going to do with that information as to your subte route and collectivo travels? It´s not like anybody can fly out of Ezeiza on a SUBE card.

In New York city I remember almost the same hysterics when the MetroCard was implemented back in the late 1990s. And you can buy a MetroCard anonymously, except of course when you purchase one with a debit or credit card, then there is a way to link the card to the purchaser. There have been several cases of the police being able to solve crimes by knowing the movements of a particular MetroCard.

The advantage of having the SUBE card linked to your personal data is, if it's lost you can cancel the balance and have it transfered to a new card, and the police can track the card´s movement if you are robbed of it.

So let's all join in and participate in this long awaited and much complained about (remember the moneda crisis) issue and get our SUBE cards. There is no reason not to unless you want to pay a higher transit fare, of course.

 

[Magoya]

I think you misunderstood the original post. Joemama was refering to the government using the card holder identity to give him/her a higher price per trip. The lower (current) price will only be kept for unemployed and low income families, it doesn't matter if you got a sube card.

And also: I think its fine. Locals shouldn't be subsidizing the transport of tourists and rich expats.

 

[elclandestino]

Why the hell perception of expats as per default being rich? Why the hell seeing expats as walking ATMs?

Except for low income people, students, disabled, seniors, prices should be the same for everyone

 

[Magoya]

If you need social security, you should stay at your home country, which is most likely much richer than Argentina. There's a lot of locals that deserve help before tourists and expats.

 

[elclandestino]

Who is talking about help? I've said certain groups should be given discounted and free fares. Everyone else (local, expat, tourist) should pay the same. Otherwise it reminds me of Soviet Union and a practice still going on around in Russia. The museum entrance fee for Russians is 40 Rubles while for the expats or just if you don't speak Russian - 40 Dollars!

Why you Argentines always pull the ''go to your country'' line? Given I'm a citizen, I work here (even employ quite a few expats and two Argentine citizens), pay some taxes, speak fluent Spanish, this country is my country, too! As much as yours

Unlike the local politicians and tycoons, expats bring hard currency to this country and spend money here. It's the local crooks who steal and take money abroad

 

[Magoya]

Who is talking about help? I've said certain groups should be given discounted and free fares.

Discounted and free fares are the help I'm talking about. You are contradicting yourself in the same paragraph.
Most of the locals (working and with income) will be paying full fare. And if we do get some kind of a break vs non-residents, I feel its totally justified, as we do pay local taxes while the rest don't.

 

[elclandestino]

The Argentine reality is very unique, rather distorted

If you wanna buy MetroCard in New York or Oyster in London, the price is the same for everyone. Actually, it's anonymous. They really don't know if you are from New Jersey / Essex or the other part of globe. Discounted and free fares are entirely different category

I just want less double pricing

Expats are taxed here on everything they consume and they increase consumption as well as the cash volume by bringing in hard currency

 

[Ashley]

I think the problem with it is all of this AFIP business. I get the graduated prices according to income (which is great, but always ends up stinging those in the middle I find) but it is a very big brother-esque system and as we haven't been told what the aumentos will be or what the financial benefits of the system will be (which is all very weird in my book), opting out is made to seem like a big financial risk.
I've also heard that this massive uptake of the sube is, in effect, giving the govt a loan of (potentially) millions to play with.
Its just not sitting well with me at all.

 

[elclandestino]

They can't look after a herd of sheep, don't mind a country