Passenger Numbers Fall by Nearly One Million in Early 2025
Horários do Funchal saw a large decline in passengers during the first three months of 2025, carrying about 950,000 fewer passengers compared to the same period last year. Several reasons explain this drop, including technical updates and recent policy changes.
Some people have returned to using private vehicles. We have a cultural awareness in the Autonomous Region of Madeira that those who take the bus are the ones who don’t have financial means. But that’s not true: those who take the bus are people who are environmentally conscious, those who travel in groups and socialize with others. This is the message that needs to be conveyed.
New Ticketing Systems Still Being Installed on Buses
Horários do Funchal is still fitting new ticket machines on its buses. In January and February, many buses lacked this equipment, so passengers could not validate their travel passes. This also made it harder to count how many people actually used the service.
In the first months, January and February, we still had buses without ticketing systems, which did not allow people to validate their passes and be registered as passengers.
Free Passes for Young and Elderly Affect Revenue
In 2024, a policy began allowing free bus passes for residents up to 23 years old and for those aged 65 or older. While this helps many people, only about 18 percent of all passes are paid for now. As a result, the bus company saw a larger financial loss in the first three months of 2025.
Tourist Tickets Are Crucial for Financing, as New App is Announced
To help with lost income, the bus company relies more on tickets sold onboard to tourists. This income increased and partly balances the shortfall from free passes. Additionally, Horários do Funchal said it plans to launch a new mobile app by the end of the year. The app will allow users to load digital passes and track buses in real time, aiming to improve the travel experience.
By the end of the year, Horários do Funchal will launch an app where digital passes can be loaded and users can track the bus route in real time.
Real Time App is Coming This Year
You heard it right, the long-awaited app, which will allow users to track buses and hopefully also schedule trips accordingly, has been announced for this year. That is: great news! Let’s see how this app will align with the SIGA network, which will be crucial for planning and scheduling interurban travels.
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