Region V senators  Francisco Chahuan and Lily Perez met this week with Transportation Minister Felipe Morande to seek transportation subsidies for the funiculars in Valparaiso. 

Chahuan insisted on including the funiculars as part of the transportation system in Valparaiso, saying it’s only fair that all the mediums of transportation receive subsidies, as do buses and trolleybuses, another cultural staple of Valparaiso. 

 

The request aims to help rebuild and restore the once glorious funiculars, while also compensating Valparaiso for the extra money the government has given to Santiago’s problematic public transport system - Transantiago.

Currently only seven of the original 25 funiculars remain in operation, and one of these is expected to stop operating at the end of July. Of these seven, four are privately owned. Fare prices range from US$0.30 to US$1.  (ST, June 14).

The funiculars are not only an important means of transportation for local citizens, but are also a cultural, somewhat mythical feature of the city. 

The senators’ request for subsidies coincided with complaints by Trans Valparaiso (the city’s bus system) that government is has not provided promised subsidies for the past two months. 

Trans Valparaiso reported that some if its transit providers missed subsidies from May and June, while others claim missing subsidies from as far back as last March.

SOURCES: LA TERCERA, EL MERCURIO
By Sebastian Leon ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )