Slovakia to halve transport fares, Greece announces subsidies amid high fuel prices

Fares on suburban buses and public transport in Slovakia's regional capitals will be cut by 50 percent for 30 days starting from Oct. 12, Slovak Transport Minister Jozef Raz said Wednesday, reported Xinhua.

According to the News Agency of the Slovak Republic (TASR), regional capitals and self-governing regions will receive a state subsidy totalling almost 12.85 million euros to reduce fares for full-fare passengers on regional bus services and public transport by half, the Slovak government decided on Wednesday.

Among regional capitals, the Slovak capital, Bratislava, will receive the largest allocation, amounting to 3.5 million euros, followed by Kosice with 853,000 euros.

The fare reduction is intended to ease the impact of high fuel prices on passengers.

Last week, the government approved a separate 50-percent reduction in second-class train fares for 30 days starting Oct. 1.

Meanwhile, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday announced a new package of measures aimed at easing pressure on households and businesses from rising fuel and operating costs.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Mitsotakis said the government would raise the diesel subsidy from 10 euro cents to 15 euro cents per liter for the first 15 days of October. Combined with discounts offered by refiners, the total reduction will be 20 euro cents per liter.

"We don't need another national crisis on top of a global one," Mitsotakis said, adding that the measures would be reviewed every 15 days according to the latest developments.

Meanwhile, Mitsotakis said the government would seek to keep prices for heating oil below 1.75 euros per liter, the level at which the previous heating season ended. Details are expected before Oct. 15, when heating oil sales are scheduled to begin.

According to Greek newspaper Ta Nea, the national average price of unleaded 95 gasoline stood at 2.207 euros per liter on Sept. 29, while diesel averaged 2.214 euros per liter, representing increases of about 26 percent and 42 percent respectively since Feb. 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.