The Antiguan government has successfully averted widespread public transportation fare increases through a strategic fuel voucher program benefiting bus operators, Prime Minister Gaston Browne revealed during Thursday’s 2026 national budget presentation. This intervention formed a critical component of the administration’s comprehensive cost-of-living relief strategy.
Between January and October 2025, exactly 198 bus operators received 76,800 fuel vouchers under the subsidy initiative, which carried an approximate government expenditure of $1.1 million. Browne emphasized that this substantial investment prevented fare adjustments that would have otherwise been inevitable given the escalating global fuel prices, thereby protecting commuters from additional financial strain.
The Prime Minister articulated the program’s significance for vulnerable demographics, noting that stable transportation costs directly benefit schoolchildren, workers, senior citizens, and low-income families. Maintaining unchanged bus fares has provided crucial stability for households already navigating heightened expenses for food and utilities.
This transportation subsidy aligns with broader budgetary measures designed to alleviate living costs, including the suspension of the 42 percent Common External Tariff on essential food imports, continued subsidies for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and electricity, and the planned doubling of the Food Voucher Programme in 2026. Approximately 7,000 pensioners and over 1,600 vulnerable families currently receive direct support through various social programs slated for continuation or expansion.
Browne further highlighted the macroeconomic benefits of stable transportation costs, noting that reliable, affordable travel facilitates economic recovery by ensuring consistent mobility for workers and students. The government has committed to ongoing collaboration with transport associations to develop additional supportive measures as global fuel prices continue to fluctuate.
The parliamentary budget debate is scheduled to resume next week, where further details of the government’s fiscal strategy will be examined.