Analysis of public transport fares in Guadalajara, Mexico

The study analysed public transport fares in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (AMG), with an emphasis on their economic and social dimensions. It started from the fact that, until 2018, there was no formal methodology for calculating this fare, and the only ruling issued by the then Jalisco Institute of Mobility and Transport (IMTJ) focused solely on Trunk Line 05 of the General Transport Programme. Based on this context, the work explored international references such as the IDB, ECLAC and UITP, which offered conceptual frameworks on how to structure fares that were efficient, sustainable and fair.The research incorporated social justice theories, such as those of Rawls, Sen and Veblen, to argue that public transport should be understood as a right and not just as an economic good. It also addressed the economics of transport, considering concepts such as demand elasticity, joint costs, diminishing returns and marginal pricing. The technical fare was conceived as one that reflected actual operating costs, while the social fare should be adjusted to the population's ability to pay. The study proposed a replicable methodology for calculating the technical fare, considering variables such as travel speed, cost per kilometre and demand elasticity. Finally, it concluded that a fair fare system should balance operational efficiency and social equity, and that the state had a responsibility to guarantee universal access to public transport as part of its social function.