Elche strengthens its taxi service to districts with new routes and subsidized fares until 2027

The Santa Ana Civic Centre hosted the introduction of the Elche Taxi municipal service, which has since been re-established for inhabitants of various districts who want speedy and inexpensive transportation to and from the city centre.

Launched in 2012, the service provided a shared taxi service to the Camp d’Elx districts, charging a predetermined fee for a specific route. This service was stopped due to administrative issues that it caused, which have already been handled through a tender procedure.

Mayor Pablo Ruz noted that the service has resumed operations with eight routes, with fares maintaining at €2 per trip or €1.50 for a 10-trip pass. The City Council will take care of the balance, “and this is how it should be because the residents of these districts also pay their taxes so that the City Council can comply with them and promote much more efficient mobility.”

Elche Taxi is returned, but with changes that aim to increase connections with neighbourhoods that lack public transit to the city centre while avoiding duplication of services on routes already served by buses in districts.

In this regard, the ET3 lines of Las Bayas, ET4 of La Hoya – La Marina, and ET5 of Matola will be discontinued and replaced by the R8, R7, and R4-R5 lines of the urban bus, which will carry 17,700, 30,000, and 31,000 passengers, respectively.

Another change affects the ET2 Perleta-Valverde line, which has altered its route and added or eliminated several stops. This is owing to the overlap of passenger traffic with bus service, as well as the discovery of new demands in previously unserviced areas after the rural service was started. As a result, Elche Taxi has expanded its services in northern rural communities such as Santa Anta, Jubalcoy, and Ferriol. The maximum journey duration on this line is 20 minutes.

The remaining lines are: ET6 Maitino-Torre Azul (18 minutes), ET7 Asprillas (16 minutes), ET8 Vallongas-Ferriol (20 minutes), ET9 Salades-Jubalcoi-Buenos Aires (20 minutes), ET10 El Plà Sant Josep-Penya les Àguiles (30 minutes), ET11 Camí de Salades-Santa Ana (27 minutes), and ET12 Camí del Carmaet.

The contract is for two years, concluding on June 30th, 2027, as part of the new urban bus contract that will go into effect on that date.

“This governing team is committed to ensuring that every person of the municipality, regardless of where they live, has access to reliable public transit, just as any resident of the city centre. That is why the Elche Taxi service has been overhauled, with a €75,000 expenditure until 2027,” explained District Councillor Pedro José Sáez.

The website for booking this service is now available: elchetaxi.es, although reservations can also be done by phone at 966 658 001.