The Generalitat will extend for a maximum of six years the interurban bus concessions that expired in 2028 and will link that continuity to the decarbonization of fleets and the improvement of the service. The Govern plans to approve this week a decree-law that will oblige concessionary companies to present a renewal project within three months if they want to maintain the operation of the lines.
The measure is accompanied by an emergency plan of 21 million euros to reinforce the network given the increase in demand. The program, agreed with the Comuns, contemplates a growth in places of around 12% annually and focuses on the lines with most saturation.
Accelerated renewal of the fleet
The new model sets as objective that 75% of the fleet be decarbonized on January 1, 2029. That means that about 1,425 buses operate with clean technologies. Currently, of the 1,597 vehicles in service, only 25 are electric, which represents 1.6% of the total.
The investment associated with this transformation is estimated at around 762 million euros. That cost will fall on the operating companies, which will be able to amortize it within the new concession terms. The decree will also incorporate operational improvements, among them the implementation of real-time information systems so that users know the location of buses and waiting times.
The calendar is immediate. Companies will have three months from the approval of the decree to present their projects and the Generalitat will have another three months to review them. If they meet the requirements, the plans should be underway before the end of the year. If they do not meet them, the lines will go out to tender.
La Generalitat avoids an immediate global competition
The Govern rules out opening a new global tender all at once and opts for a conditional extension. The decision responds to the urgent need to meet emission reduction targets and to the forecast that a generalized bidding process in two years would delay the renewal of the fleet.
Even so, the door remains open to review specific cases and to introduce changes in the management of certain lines, in coordination with other administrations such as the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. Some specific routes will indeed be tendered due to their particularities, such as that of Manresa with Barcelona.
More reinforcements in Lleida, Girona, Tarragona and the surroundings of Barcelona
The shock plan arrives at a moment of strong user growth. The Generalitat's forecast places demand at 90 million passengers in 2025 and aims to exceed 100 million this same year.
In Lleida, the reinforcement will affect corridors such as Granja d"Escarp with Alcarràs and Lleida, and Guissona with Lleida. It also plans to expand the Express services and implement on-demand transport in rural areas.
In Tarragona, Girona and Barcelona, existing lines will be improved and new corridors and connections with key capitals and services will be promoted. Among the planned actions are the reinforcements between Reus and Tarragona, the connections of the Terres de l"Ebre with Barcelona and the improvement of the link of Gandesa with the Catalan capital.
In Girona, the plan points out actions in axes such as Lloret with Girona and Roses with Figueres. In the metropolitan area of Barcelona, the Generalitat proposes to strengthen connections with several comarcas, improve access to health and educational centers, including the UAB, and boost transversal corridors such as those of Cerdanya, Berguedà and Bages.
With this scheme, the Govern seeks to gain time to modernize the network without interrupting the provision of the service and with the pressure of a rising demand. The continuity of the concessions will now be linked to the operators proving, in a few months, that they can renew their fleets and assume the required improvements.