From July 2025 through August 2026, the government spent approximately SRD 1.19 billion on public transport and school transport.
During her annual address on Wednesday, President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons announced this. She stressed that financial support must be accompanied by better oversight and reliable service provision. According to the president, public transport and school transport are important for access to education, work and basic services. Transport must therefore remain affordable.
Of the total amount, approximately SRD 558 million went to school transport. In addition, SRD 320 million was spent on fare compensation for private bus operators and SRD 315 million on support for the Nationaal Vervoer Bedrijf (NVB).
The president stated that this support must be matched by clear requirements. She called for better oversight of the services provided, transparent subsidy allocation and a more financially manageable transport sector. Simons indicated that she is not opposed to subsidising public transport. According to her, the public funds used for this must contribute to reliable service provision.
