{
  "id": 19978258,
  "title": "Medellin Metro Closes Ticket Offices at Six Stations, Raising Accessibility Concerns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/medellin-metro-closes-ticket-offices-at-six-stations-raising",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-14T12:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Colombia One",
    "slug": "colombia-one",
    "url": "https://colombiaone.com/2026/11/14/medellin-metro-ticket-office-closures/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Medellin Metro closes ticket offices at six stations, raising accessibility concerns. The change, effective November 9, 2026, aims to streamline the payment process and align the system with international mobility standards. However, it has sparked criticism from older adults and occasional riders who rely on face-to-face assistance at ticket offices. The Metro promises that the roughly 270 employees who previously sold tickets will now guide passengers through the new channels, such as top-up machines that accept cash, banking apps, WhatsApp, and digital payment methods like contactless Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards. Despite the shift, the Metro plans to close six more ticket offices between February and June 2027, leaving only 10 sales points across the entire system.",
  "summary": "On November 9, 2026, the Medellin Metro closed traditional ticket offices at six stations (Floresta, Acevedo, Parque Berrío, Envigado, Ayura, and Itagui), directing passengers to top-up machines that accept cash and to digital channels such as banking apps and WhatsApp. The change targets the Civica card, the prepaid card that passengers use to enter the […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Medellin Metro closes ticket offices at six stations on November 9, 2026.",
    "Critics express concerns over accessibility for older adults and occasional riders.",
    "Metro plans to close six more ticket offices between February and June 2027."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}