Bilbobus
Encyclopedia
Bilbobus is the name for metropolitan bus
services in Bilbao
.
The service is owned by the city council
of Bilbao. Operations will be transferred to Veolia Transport
, the company that won the contract in May 2008. The buses can be distinguished by their red colour and large white lettering, and there are 28 major lines serving the city, with eight smaller lines connecting the town centre with neighborhoods with narrow streets where normal buses can't drive. Plus eight night lines, called Gautxori.
Bilbobus has recently won a European Union
prize for service excellence. It is part of a wider transport
network operated by the Basque government, recent additions to which include the Metro Bilbao
underground
and the EuskoTran
tram
line. They join the Renfe
, EuskoTren
and FEVE
train
services and are heavily integrated by means of the Creditrans
card to provide ease of movement in the city.
The company's branding takes the Basque language
name for the city, Bilbo.
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The following is a list of the lines operated by Bilbobus, taken from their website:
After the inauguration of Metro Bilbao
in 1995, the number of passengers transported by Bilbobus fell from 32 million to around 29 million. The underground's extension to the neighborhood of Santutxu
in 1997, accelerated the decline in ridership, and it fell below 23 million in 1999. Some lines were suppressed, and the number of bus units used was lowered.
A reorganization of lines, and an improvement of the service have led to an increase of the ridership. The number of passengers has risen around 3 to 4 per cent yearly, and is expected to reach more than 28 million in 2008, its highest level in ten years.
bus services, which extend wider out of the city centre into all of Biscay
. The Creditrans is available at most underground stations, tram stops, kiosks and tobacconists.
Tickets are also available on board at a flat rate of 1.15 euro.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
services in Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
.
The service is owned by the city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
of Bilbao. Operations will be transferred to Veolia Transport
Veolia Transport
Veolia Transport is the international transport services division of the French-based multinational company Veolia Environnement...
, the company that won the contract in May 2008. The buses can be distinguished by their red colour and large white lettering, and there are 28 major lines serving the city, with eight smaller lines connecting the town centre with neighborhoods with narrow streets where normal buses can't drive. Plus eight night lines, called Gautxori.
Bilbobus has recently won a European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
prize for service excellence. It is part of a wider transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
network operated by the Basque government, recent additions to which include the Metro Bilbao
Metro Bilbao
Metro Bilbao is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bilbao and the region of Greater Bilbao. Its lines have a "Y" shape, with two lines that transit both banks of the Nervión river and then combine to form one line that ends in the south of Bilbao...
underground
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
and the EuskoTran
EuskoTran
EuskoTran is a light rail tram service which operates in the cities of Bilbao , Vitoria and, in the future, in the town of Leioa , all of them in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the three commercial brands of the public society owned by the Basque Government, Eusko Trenbideak -...
tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
line. They join the Renfe
RENFE
Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF .- History :The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National...
, EuskoTren
EuskoTren
EuskoTren is a commuter rail service which operates in the Basque Country provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa. It is one of the three commercial brands of the public society owned by the Basque Government, Eusko Trenbideak - Ferrocarriles Vascos...
and FEVE
FEVE
FEVE is a state-owned Spanish railway company, which operates most of Spain's of metre gauge railway.-History:...
train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
services and are heavily integrated by means of the Creditrans
Creditrans
Creditrans is a travel card used to travel around Biscay, in the Basque Country . The card is the most popular ticket in the area, used by over 100 million passengers in 2007.-History:...
card to provide ease of movement in the city.
The company's branding takes the Basque language
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
name for the city, Bilbo.
Lines
- 01 Arangoiti - Plaza Biribila
- 03 Plaza Biribila - Otxarkoaga
- 10 Elorrieta - Plaza Biribila
- 11 Deustu - AtxuriAtxuriAtxuri is a neighborhood of Bilbao. It was originally a suburb south of the old walled town. Modernly it stands between this neighborhood and those of Solokoetxe, Santutxu and the estuary of Bilbao. Administratively, it belongs to the 5th district of the city. It hosts Bilbao-Atxuri Station, the...
- 13 San Inazio - Txurdinaga
- 18 San Inazio - Zorrotza
- 22 Sarrikue - Atxuri
- 26 UribarriUribarriUribarri is the second district of the city of Bilbao, Basque Country. It is divided into the neighbourhoods of Castaños, Matico-Ciudad Jardín, Uríbarri proper and Zurbaran-Arabella....
- TermibusTermibusTermibus is the main bus station of Bilbao and it is located beside San Mamés Stadium. The bus terminal is linked to the San Mamés underground, tram and commuter rail station.... - 27 Arabella - Betolatza
- 30 Txurdinaga - Miribilla
- 34 Otxarkoaga - SantutxuSantutxuSantutxu is one of the most populous neighbourhoods of Bilbao . It belongs to the 4th urban district, named Begoña...
- 38 Otxarkoaga - Termibus
- 40 Santutxu - Plaza Biribila
- 43 Garaizar - Santutxu
- 48 Santutxu - Lezeaga
- 50 Buia - Plaza Biribila
- 56 La Peña - Jesusen Bihotza
- 57 Miribilla - Ospitalea
- 58 Mintegitxueta - Atxuri
- 62 Termibus - Arabella
- 71 Miribilla - San Inazio
- 72 Larraskitu - Castaños/Gazteleku
- 75 San Adrián - Atxuri
- 76 Artatzu/Xalbador - MoyúaMoyúaMoyúa or Elliptic square is a public square located in the center of Bilbao's extension, in the district of Abando. The square was conceived in 1876 as a central hub in the middle of Gran Vía de Don Diego López de Haro avenue, from where the main eight streets depart in radius-like shape and was...
- 77 Peñascal - Larreagaburu
- 80 Altamira - Termibus
- 85 Zazpi Landa - Atxuri
- 88 Kastrexana - IndautxuIndautxuIndautxu is a neighbourhood of central Bilbao located between the neighbourhoods of Basurto and Abando. It is centred on Plaza Indautxu, a large, newly reformed square under which there is a small shopping centre and a station for Metro Bilbao....
Microbus lines (Auzobus)
- A1: Asunción - Plaza Biribila
- A2: Solokoetxe - Plaza Biribila
- A3: Olabeaga - Moyua
- A4: Zorrotzaurre - Deustu
- A5: Prim - Plaza Biribila
- A6: Arangoiti - Plaza San Pedro
- A8: San Justo - Ametzola
Night lines (Gautxori)
- G1: Arabella - Moyua
- G2: Otxarkoaga - Plaza Biribila
- G3: Larraskitu/Errekalde - Plaza Biribila
- G4: La Peña - Plaza Biribila
- G5: San Adrian/Miribilla - Plaza Biribila
- G6: Altamira/Zorrotza - Plaza Biribila
- G7: Larreagaburu - Plaza Biribila
- G8: Arangoiti - Plaza Biribila
Ridership
| Ridership | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Passengers | |
| 1995 | 32,495,855 | |
| 1996 | 29,593,660 | |
| 1997 | 26,840,889 | |
| 1998 | 23,146,360 | |
| 1999 | 22,622,032 | |
| 2000 | 22,729,418 | |
| 2001 | 23,277,373 | |
| 2002 | 23,146,360 | |
| 2003 | 24,092,925 | |
| 2004 | 25,517,892 | |
| 2005 | 26,086,405 | |
| 2006 | 27,264,583 | |
| 2007 | 27,704,658 | |
After the inauguration of Metro Bilbao
Metro Bilbao
Metro Bilbao is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bilbao and the region of Greater Bilbao. Its lines have a "Y" shape, with two lines that transit both banks of the Nervión river and then combine to form one line that ends in the south of Bilbao...
in 1995, the number of passengers transported by Bilbobus fell from 32 million to around 29 million. The underground's extension to the neighborhood of Santutxu
Santutxu
Santutxu is one of the most populous neighbourhoods of Bilbao . It belongs to the 4th urban district, named Begoña...
in 1997, accelerated the decline in ridership, and it fell below 23 million in 1999. Some lines were suppressed, and the number of bus units used was lowered.
A reorganization of lines, and an improvement of the service have led to an increase of the ridership. The number of passengers has risen around 3 to 4 per cent yearly, and is expected to reach more than 28 million in 2008, its highest level in ten years.
Busiest lines in 2007
- Peñascal - Larreagaburu: 2,008,969 passengers
- La Peña - Jesusen Bihotza: 1,959,000 passengers
- Otxarkoaga - Plaza Biribila: 1,789,088 passengers
- Txurdinaga - Miribilla: 1,681,512 passengers
- San Inazio - Txurdinaga: 1,673,612 passengers
Tickets
Passengers are typically recommended to use a Creditrans travelcard. Available in denominations of 5, 10 or 15 euros, they permit ease of travel and the cost of tickets is discounted. The ticket is validated each time you board the bus at a flat rate cost of 55 cents. The Creditrans is also valid on trains, metro and BizkaiBusBizkaiBus
BizkaiBus is the name for bus services serving the province of Biscay, Spain. It is named after the Basque name of the province, Bizkaia. The buses can be identified by their distinctive yellow colour scheme....
bus services, which extend wider out of the city centre into all of Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
. The Creditrans is available at most underground stations, tram stops, kiosks and tobacconists.
Tickets are also available on board at a flat rate of 1.15 euro.