Free public transport in Zagreb for residents under 18 announced

Zagreb

The Croatian capital Zagreb has announced a major initiative to make public transport free for all residents under 18, easing financial pressures on families.

Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević announced the policy, part of broader social welfare measures, alongside the completion of key infrastructure projects, including the resumption of tram services on the Jadranski Bridge after two and a half years.

The structural renovation of the bridge, costing €17.5 million including VAT, has been completed, 24sata reported.

New policies on social welfare have also been announced, including free public transport for all those under the age of 18.

“For those over 65, we fully subsidise public transport, and in 2025, we will extend this subsidy to cover all children up to the age of 18. Additionally, free transport will also be expanded to include people with disabilities,” said Dolonec.

The proposal to provide free public transport for under-18s will be open for public consultation in the coming days.

Tomašević emphasised that this change is expected to ease the financial burden on families. He also highlighted that public transport fares were not increased during the period of inflation.

Dolonec further noted that in July, the City of Zagreb increased its cash benefits by 50%, primarily benefiting children with disabilities and people with disabilities.

“We are a city with an unparalleled number of beneficiaries of cash allowances. With the new amendments to the social welfare policies, we expect close to 10,000 new beneficiaries,” Dolonec stated.

Traffic has now been reopened for all vehicles on the Jadranski Bridge.

“In fact, it consists of two bridges—the eastern and western spans. They are older than I am, having been built in 1981, and this is their first renovation in 40 years. It is crucial not only to build new bridges but also to maintain and renovate existing ones, especially considering the risk of future earthquakes,” said Tomašević.

Jadranski bridge (Photo: Suradnik13/CC BY-SA 4.0)

He also noted that bridge renovations can progress more quickly when traffic is halted during the works, but this was not feasible on the Jadranski Bridge due to its importance in the traffic infrastructure.

He announced that work on the Mihaljevac terminus would be completed within a week.