Various autonomous communities offer financial aid to citizens on issues related to mobility. In previous information published on the Moveo channel, we have reported on the subsidies that some regions offer to buy electric bicycles and scooters. We have also compiled the places where public transport or regulated parking is free at certain times of the year.
The promotion of micro-mobility and the use of public transport are not the only measures that are part of the communities’ agenda when designing a subsidy plan regarding urban mobility. Some regions and provincial councils, such as Valladolid, have an aid plan in force aimed at young people to get their driver’s license.
This initiative is aimed at promoting the integration of young people into the world of work. Being in possession of the card significantly increases the chances of getting a job, since in many cases it is an essential condition to access the job offer.
However, the average price to obtain a driving license exceeds one thousand euros – a 2019 OCU study placed it between 665 and 1,482 euros – an amount that many young people do not have. For this reason, several communities have opened a line of subsidies or loans aimed at this group to facilitate their employment. The fundamental requirement is to reside in the places in Spain where the aid is offered.
The Xunta de Galicia closed its last call for aid last October and has not yet launched the one corresponding to 2023. But the autonomous president, Alfonso Rueda, announced in mid-January that the Xunta is going to open a new line of subsidies to get a driving license. The same guidelines as the previous year will probably be followed. In other words, offer young people between the ages of 18 and 30 aid of 400 euros for the B card (car), 650 euros for the C card (truck) and 1,300 euros for the D card (bus).
The amount of the rent is cumulative, so if the same person requests help to obtain two or three permits, the amounts are added. In the last edition, 761,000 euros were allocated, 80% co-financed by the European Social Fund, and 3,500 young people benefited. To access the benefit it is essential to be enrolled in the National Youth Guarantee System in the autonomous community of Galicia.
The Cantabrian government, through the Ministry of Universities, Equality, Culture and Sport, allocated 100,000 euros last year to subsidize obtaining a driver’s license. The aid was aimed at young people between the ages of 18 and 30 and was 200 euros regardless of the type of card chosen. The 2022 call, which closed in the summer, subsidized all kinds of permits, from motorcycles to trailers.
The Valladolid Provincial Council directs financial aid to obtain a driver’s license to a very specific group of the population. Women residing in municipalities of the province with less than 20,000 inhabitants are eligible for the subsidies. The aid varies from a maximum of 400 euros to obtain a type B driving license for public transport service (taxi), a maximum of 700 euros for the general type b card (car), and up to 1,500 euros of aid for Obtaining types C (trucks with no weight limit) and D (public transport service-bus).
In addition to being registered in a municipality in the province of Valladolid with less than 20,000 inhabitants, women interested in obtaining the aid must be between 18 and 60 years of age. The budget allocated to this subsidy is 25,000 euros and the deadline to request it ends on June 30, 2023. To access the aid, the annual income of the family or cohabitation unit cannot exceed 16,210.56 euros, the equivalent twice the annual IPREM of 2022.
Unlike the other official organizations that subsidize obtaining the license, La Rioja offers interest-free loans to young people in the region to pay the cost of classes and traffic fees to obtain a driver’s license. The loans, managed through the Instituto Riojano de Juventud, are aimed at young people between the ages of 18 and 30 who have resided in the Community for at least 5 years. In addition, it is required to be in possession of the Youth Card.
The amount of the loans varies depending on the type of card. For the type B permit (cars and motorcycles up to 125 cc) it is a maximum of 2,000 euros and for professional driving licenses up to 3,000 euros. The maximum repayment term of the loan is 36 months.