Neuquén students will be able to travel for free on public transportation of passengers when they go to or return from their schools, universities and study centers throughout the province, after the approval of a law in this regard by the local Chamber of Deputies, it was officially reported.
The free student ticket will reach all levels of education -initial, primary, middle, tertiary and university- and the requirements to access the benefit will be the proof of regular student, reside in the province of Neuquén and attend classes in person.
The lieutenant governor of the province, Marcos Koopmann, stressed that “it is great news for all Neuquén families that the Free Student Ticket, based on this law, it becomes a state policy”and noted that “it will strengthen the educational system, facilitate school insertion and thereby contribute to the development and transition to a good job in the province of Neuquén.”
“It is a norm that we work with much dialogue, consensuswhich arose from the different tours of the towns of the province, where the students and their families asked us how difficult it was in this inflationary context to access the ticket to travel to the different educational centers,” explained the lieutenant governor.
On the other hand, he stressed that “This law is a response to that demand, which is here to stay forever”and indicated that “unlike the implementation of other student tickets, this will be universal because it does not have addresses or conditions according to the institution to which the students attend.”
The law was approved by a majority with 27 votes in favor and three against deputies Leticia Esteves and Ayelén Quiroga. and deputy Luis Aquín, all from the block of Together for Change.
Yesterday we sanctioned the law of the Free Neuquino Student Ticket? and Pablo, a survivor of La Noche de los Lápices, was present. It is very important that a reference who fought with his life for the Student Ticket, accompany us.
?More info: https://t.co/u9eVWhGhsK pic.twitter.com/iJNnlnuUy4
— Marcos Koopmann (@marcoskoopm) November 17, 2022
“We don’t know how much the state is going to get and how we’re going to pay for it,” argued Esteves and called for “fiscal responsibility” for the sanction of the rules since the ticket “is not free, the money and resources come from somewhere: from the taxpayer, from our taxes.”
In addition, the legislator asked Do not confuse “equity with equality”, after mentioning that the law contemplates sectors of society that could face the cost of the public transport ticket.
In turn, after voting in favor, Deputy Andrés Blanco (PTS-FIT) assured that “the measure expands rights”, and recalled that his political space presented a similar initiative in 2013 so that “both students and workers in education have access to the free ticket.”
