COVID-19 support measures for transport and housing

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The bill would require airports, airlines and passengers to follow the European EASA/ECDC guidelines to reduce the spread of the virus: preventive information, health checks and a ban on going to the airport with symptoms or while isolating.
2. Only passengers with a ticket or boarding pass, their strictly necessary companions and authorized staff could enter airport terminals. Everyone would have to wear a surgical mask or one offering higher protection inside the facilities.
3. In ports, port authorities could lower the minimum traffic required from concession holders, reduce the occupancy fee under a percentage scale, apply exemptions and reductions to the ship fee, and grant deferrals of up to six months with no interest or guarantees.
4. RENFE-Operadora would be authorized to borrow up to 1,000 million euros in 2020, and an extraordinary credit of 110 million euros would be granted to pay SEITTSA for railway infrastructure works.
5. Self-employed workers and companies in freight transport and non-scheduled bus services facing financial difficulties (a drop in income of at least 40% between March and May 2020) could defer payment of the principal on loan, leasing or rental installments for their vehicles for up to six months, while continuing to pay interest.
6. Companies holding contracts for scheduled bus services, toll highways, first-generation expressways and State road service areas could request an economic rebalancing of their contracts due to the drop in demand and disinfection costs, with applications due within two months and, for works concessions, an extension of the concession period.
7. Road transport paperwork would be eased: the renewal check on transport authorizations would move from every two to every three years, the deadline to reinstate revoked authorizations would be extended by one year, ambulances over 10 years old could stay in service until December 31, 2020, and vehicle inspections due between June 21 and August 31 would be extended by three months.
8. On housing, the bill would make it easier to provide affordable or social rental housing through surface rights under public-private collaborations of up to 80 years, allow unspent funds from the 2018-2021 State Housing Plan to be reused, and keep the subsidized status of housing loans even if borrowers take COVID-19 payment holidays. It would also extend until September 30, 2020 the extraordinary six-month extension of lease contracts and the deferral for vulnerable tenants, and until September 29 the deadline to request suspension of non-mortgage-guaranteed loans.

Who it affects

• Passengers and aviation staff: They would have to undergo health checks, wear masks at airports and stay away if they have symptoms or are isolating.
• Self-employed workers and road transport companies: They could defer vehicle loan payments, request contract rebalancing and benefit from simplified paperwork and extended vehicle inspections.
• Shipping companies and port concession holders: Port fees would be reduced or deferred and minimum traffic requirements relaxed.
• Tenants in vulnerable situations: Until September 30, 2020 they could request rent deferrals or waivers from large landlords and extraordinary six-month extensions of their leases.
• Mortgage holders and consumer loan borrowers: The deadlines to request mortgage payment holidays and suspensions of non-mortgage-guaranteed loans would be extended.

Words worth knowing

Real decreto-ley (royal decree-law)

A rule with the force of law that the Government can adopt urgently in extraordinary situations without prior parliamentary approval, though it must later be validated by the Congress of Deputies.

Moratoria (payment holiday)

An authorized postponement of debt payments for a set period.

Visado de autorizaciones de transporte (renewal check)

A periodic review by the Administration to confirm that a transport company still meets the requirements of its operating authorization.

Derecho de superficie (surface right)

A right to use and build on land owned by someone else, while ownership of the land stays with its owner.

Condonación (debt waiver)

A full or partial forgiveness of a debt, so it no longer has to be paid.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries