The Growth of the Urban Bus Service
In the first half of 2024, the number of users of the city bus service in Alcoy has reached an unprecedented figure, with more than one million passengers. According to the data provided by the City Council, specifically, 1,107,694 trips were recorded between January and June, thus surpassing the previous record of 2007, which totaled 1,028,202 users.
Annual Record Possibilities
With these statistics, it is expected that Alcoi will be able to close the year with more than two million travelers, which would represent a new historical maximum, surpassing the previous one, which was 1,948,330 trips registered in 2007.
A Positive Trend
Since 2015, a continuous increase in users has been observed, once improvements were made to the service lines. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic had caused a significant decline, but the numbers are now steadily recovering. In 2023, 1,891,475 trips were recorded, with 932,284 in the first half, 18.82% less compared to this new data.
Councilor’s comments
Jordi Martínez, councilor for Sustainable Mobility, has pointed out that, apart from the impact of Covid-19, the number of users has been increasing over the last 17 years. Martínez remarked that despite the reduction of a line in 2014, the use of buses has maintained an upward trend. “This reveals that the social initiatives implemented have had a positive impact, and the population is increasingly aware of the importance of sustainable mobility and respect for the environment,” he added.
Measures to Improve the Service
During these years, the Municipal Government has implemented several measures to optimize the service and benefit passengers. Since mid-2015, subscriptions have been launched for different social groups, contributing considerably to the increase in the number of users. In addition, from February 2023, a 50% discount is being applied to multi-trip vouchers and monthly vouchers for the city bus. The Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda collaborates by financing 30% of the cost, while the City Council covers 20% with public funds, thus maintaining this offer until the end of 2024.
Acquisition of New Infrastructures
On the other hand, Alcoi City Council has acquired two electric buses for its public transport system through the Municipal Aid Program. This program seeks to promote the creation of Low Emission Zones and the digital transformation of urban transport, all within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. The new buses, which will be 12 meters long, will be used on line 3, which is the most used and where a significant reduction in pollutants per passenger is achieved.
Economic Impact and Future of the Service
With the incorporation of these vehicles into the system, the City Council will be able to reduce the costs associated with the next transport service contract. By providing the buses, the need for the concessionary company to make a new purchase is minimized, which could have an impact on the costs to the municipal coffers. Following the conditions established in the contract, the winning company must deliver the new vehicles before the end of the year.
Extension of the Service Contract
Recently, in the last Municipal Plenum, the extension of the service contract for another year was approved. In the last legislature, a participatory process was carried out to define a new transport system, and currently the City Council continues to work on the changes necessary to reach an agreement on the implementation of this new service, scheduled to begin in next year, once the extension has ended, as required by current legislation.
