The senators spent almost three million euros on travel during 2022, 22% more than the previous year

MADRID, 5 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The expense of the travel of the senators charged to the budget of the Upper House has amounted to 2,915,300.74 euros throughout 2022, which means 635,000 euros, 21.7%, more than the previous year, when there were still restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic and there was even a capacity limitation.

This is stated in the transparency portal of the Senate, in the section on the economic regime, where these expenses derived from the transport of parliamentarians are collected, broken down by quarters since 2015.

In 2022, the expenses of the first quarter were 618,859 euros, those of the second quarter were 841,437 euros, while those of the third quarter were 609,029 euros, and now the Senate has published the data corresponding to the last quarter of the year.

Specifically, in the last three months of the year, the total reflected is 802,825.06 euros, divided between the parliamentary, political and official trips of the senators, although the total billing for this period, that is, what it really costs to the Senate, is 845,973.72 euros, since this also includes the costs of management, cancellation and change of tickets, as well as tickets issued pending use.

The Upper House bears the expenses of the trips of the senators in the means of collective transport (plane, train, bus or boat) for the performance of their parliamentary activity, to carry out activities of a political, sectorial or institutional representation nature, as well as as well as official trips made on behalf of the Senate.

Likewise, the Senate gives parliamentarians a 'Taxi-Card' with a maximum annual credit of 3,000 euros, valid to cover their trips in the Community of Madrid, and, in the case of using their own car, 0.25 euros are paid per kilometer, as well as, where appropriate, the amounts of motorway tolls.

This 2022 has served for the Senate to gradually recover activity prior to the coronavirus pandemic, and, although the 75% capacity has been maintained during the first months, it has spent 634,974 euros more than in 2021.

Specifically, the Senate allocated 2,280,326.17 euros to the travel of senators throughout 2021. While, in 2020, which coincided with the toughest time and with the most restrictions due to Covid-19, the Senate spent 1.65 millions of euros.

For its part, throughout 2019, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the Senate allocated a total of 1.71 million euros to these trips. During this exercise the dissolution of the Cortes Generales took place due to the call for elections.

In previous years, the Senate allocated 3.37 million for senators' trips in 2018, while in 2017 it spent 3.01 million and in 2016, 2.01 million.