TREND: Seven years on, Transantiago is still a big headache

Seven years after a huge restructuring of Santiago's mass transit system that has cost Chileans over US$10bn in subsidies, bus and metro services in the city have only gotten worse.

Transantiago was launched in February 2007 and soon became a nightmare. The system aimed to improve transportation by reducing the number of buses on the streets, reorganizing routes and improving connections with metro lines. However, taking buses off the streets in several neighborhoods only angered residents, who saw commuting conditions rapidly deteriorate.

Long bus lines became common and subway stations were overcrowded, with cases of suffocation and heart attacks on platforms.

Since then, the government has added more buses and metro cars, speeded up services and changed regulations, without making a real impact on quality or congestion.

Fare evasion has been a constant and growing problem, standing at 23%, more than twice the global average. In short, almost one out of four passengers doesn't pay for their ticket. Despite increasing bus fares 60% since 2007, Transantiago's losses run at US$650mn a year.

Private bus operator Inversiones Alsacia – which transports 450,000 passengers a day – missed a debt payment and is restructuring its liabilities, complaining of lower revenue. The company also warned it is only a matter of time before a crisis erupts in the metropolitan transport system.

President Michelle Bachelet has announced plans to invest US$1bn over four years to improve Transantiago, which is described by some users as the worst service experience in the country. Funds will go to the construction of new exclusive bus corridors, adding buses and Wi-Fi service in buses, and implementing measures to speed up payment and cut down on evasion.

Metro services, once highly valued by passengers, have suffered with Transantiago and a surge in traffic is taking its toll on the subway system. The network, which transports 2.5mn passengers a day, was recently halted twice in less than two weeks after a crack in tracks and a blackout, sparking a debate about how to alleviate demand.

However, urban transport expert Louis de Grange said Transantiago will only get worse, and urged authorities to build more metro lines.

Metro de Santiago is currently investing US$2.78bn in the construction of two new metro lines (No. 3 and No. 6), but de Grange said that's not enough, and the government should build another line.

"There's no room on the surface. The solution is to invest in underground transportation," de Grange told BNamericas in a recent interview.