Spending on parliamentary, political and official travel by senators through September 2024 has reached 2.92 million euros, according to data from the Senate’s transparency portal. This figure represents an increase of one million euros over the same period in 2023 and represents the highest expenditure recorded in the last nine years.
Breakdown of transportation costs and modes of transport
In the third quarter of 2024, the Senate has reflected an expenditure of 722,054.46 euros, a figure that includes air, train, bus and boat tickets for the performance of parliamentary and representative activities. However, the total invoicing amounts to 802,308.12 euros, considering the costs of management, cancellation and ticket changes, in addition to the tickets pending use. The senators have a ‘Taxi-Card’, with a maximum credit of 3,000 euros per year for trips in Madrid, and a compensation of 0.25 euros per kilometer for those who use their own vehicle, including toll expenses if applicable.
Historical comparison: 2024 beats all records
Through September 2024, travel expenditures have been the highest since 2015, despite including two months off for vacations (January and August). This is the breakdown of previous years:
- 2023: 1.82 million euros.
- 2022: 2.06 million euros.
- 1.49 million (COVID restrictions).
- 2020: 1 million euros (closure due to pandemic).
- 2019: €1.36 million.
- 2018: €2.34 million.
Spending in 2024 exceeded €2.9 million for the first time in the first three quarters, a milestone that had not been reached even in 2018, one of the years with the highest records.
