The new urban bus service in Torrevieja is once again up for bid. It is worth an estimated 115.4 million euros (not including VAT), making it the second most important public contract in the city’s history, after the rubbish collection contract.
The governing board has approved the bidding procedure so that “it can be awarded as soon as possible,” said Federico Alarcón, the board’s secretary, on Monday. This comes after the Central Administrative Court of Contractual Appeals (TARC) agreed with Ruiz Bus, a company in the industry, that the tender criteria were unfair.
The TARC decision said that the City Council had to start the process over again to introduce some changes to the specifications. As a result, the local government has decided to follow the court’s orders and start a new tender. At the same time, they are using the controversial administrative route to “have enough judgements that prove that the municipal officials are doing it right,” Alarcón said.
The governing board has agreed to the technical specifications, explanatory memorandum, and administrative terms and circumstances for hiring the new urban transport service in the municipality. The entire cost of the 10-year concession is €115,440,005 (plus VAT). Bids must be submitted within 40 calendar days after the tender notice. The deadline for receiving proposals is January 12th, 2026.
The new service adds more personnel and more vehicles to the fleet. In particular, the number of buses goes from 16 to 32, with 26 hybrid buses and 6 electric buses. All buses will have a driver assistance system, which will let both users and the concessionaire see real-time information about routes, arrival times, accidents, and more.
The number of workers, on the other hand, will more than treble, going from 41 to over 100 professionals.
There will also be more lines, including the Circular Line, Hospital Line, Torreblanca-La Mata-Hospital Quirón Line, and three night lines. In the low season, the schedules will be from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., while in the high season, they will be from 7 a.m. to midnight.
Bus lines
Circular Line
It is a circular, one-way route that runs through the center of Torrevieja and connects the following demand points:
-Eras de la Sal/Puerto de Torrevieja.
-Habaneras/Carrefour Shopping Centre.
-Bus station.
-Sports areas.
-Market area.
-CEIP Acequión, Cuba, Salvador Ruso, Virgen del Carmen, Habaneras and Inmaculada.
-Patricio Pérez, La Loma and El Acequión health centers.
-IES Mare Nostrum, Mediterráneo and Las Lagunas.
Line 1. Hospital
It is a linear route in both directions, acting as a shuttle from the city center to the Torrevieja Hospital.
Connect the following demand points:
-Puerto.
-Torrevieja Hospital.
-Acequión Health Center.
-Torrevieja Cemetery (on request).
Line 2. Los Altos-Rocío del Mar
This line has a linear route in both directions. It runs through the Los Altos and Rocío del Mar residential areas, starting at the Torrevieja Hospital.
Connect the following demand points:
-Torrevieja Hospital.
-CEIP Romualdo Ballester
-Cala Piteras.
Line 3. The Balconies
Linear in both directions, it will run through the residential area of the Los Balcones development. The main demand point it serves is the Torrevieja Hospital.
Line 4. Turrets
This line, like the previous ones, is a linear route in both directions.
It supplies the following demand points:
-Puerto y Eras de la Sal.
-Habaneras Shopping Centre-Carrefour.
-Bus station
-CEIP Las Culturas e Inmaculada.
-La Siesta Health Center.
-IES Torrevigía.
Line 5. San Luis
This line, like the others that supply the city’s outlying urbanizations, is a linear, two-way line, and supplies the following demand points:
-Puerto-Eras de la Sal.
-Habaneras Shopping Center-Carrefour
-CEIP Inmaculada
-IES Torrevigía
-San Luis Health Center.
Line 6. Torreblanca – La Mata – Quirón Hospital
This line also has a linear route in both directions and feeds the following demand points:
-Puerto-Eras de la Sal
-Quirón Hospital
-International Auditorium and Conservatory (on demand).
-CEIP Ciudad del Mar, Ntra. Sra. del Rosario and Salvador Ruso.
-La Loma, Patricio Pérez and La Mata Health Centers.
-Sports area
-Market Area
-IES Mare Nostrum, Las Lagunas and Libertas.
Line 7. La Mata via Interior
This line will connect Torrevieja and La Mata via the inner avenues of Torrevieja. It is a two-way line, linking the following points of demand:
-Puerto-Eras de la Sal
-The Mata
-CEIP Virgen del Mar, Virgen del Carmen and Inmaculada.
-La Mata Health Center
-IES Mediterráneo and Ciudad del Mar.
Line 8. La Mata – Playas
This linear route connects the following demand points:
-Puerto-Eras de la Sal.
-The Mata
-Beaches in the north of the municipality.
-Health Centers of La Mata and Patricio Pérez.
-Bus station.
Night Line: N1, N2 and N3
They will be available every Saturday of the year, as well as daily during mid and high seasons, from 0:00 to 4:00 hours.
Line N1. La Mata.
Line N2. North (area of urbanizations near the CV-905).
Line N3. South.
When it comes to prices, users will have a choice of many types of tickets. The project also includes building, renovating, and maintaining the several stops that make up the urban transit service, as well as running them. This includes fixing up old shelters and building new ones.
The new contract comprises writing the project and doing the work needed to build an operating base for garages, workshops, control centre offices, and charging stations for 12 electric buses.
It will be built on a piece of land owned by the city in Enclave 13. More specifically, the operational base is worth 3,157,684 euros plus VAT, and the charging installation is worth 963,243 euros plus VAT. It is located on a 7,550 square metre site at the intersection of Juan Valera Street and Rosa Mazón Valero Avenue.
Different kinds of fares
GOLD PASS. People who use this card can ride public transit for free all year long for:
- People who are 65 or older and have lived in Torrevieja for more than a year. -Pensioners or those with a disability level higher than 33% who have lived in Torrevieja for more than a year.
- SPECIAL BUS PASS FOR MULTIPLE TRIPS. This card is for people who want to go on trips for practically half off.
- People under 26 years old.
- Big family.
- Unemployed for a long time (more than two years).
- Bono 30. This cuisine is good for everyone. It is a flat cost that lets you ride any urban transit line for 30 days without limits. It costs €44.
- TOURIST CARD. This meal is mostly for tourists and those on vacation. For a set amount of time, it lets you use urban transport lines as much as you like. You have two choices: For three days, for ten euros. For €18, you can stay for 7 days.
- Bus pass for multiple trips. This fare is provided on a card that can be recharged. Ten journeys cost €11, and twenty excursions cost €22.
- REGULAR TICKET. It costs €1.50 for one ticket. The service will also be digitised, which will give users real-time information at stops and through a mobile app (app). It will also optimise routes and figure out any problems that the service may have. Also, three offices will open to help all users and give them information. The village of La Mata, the town centre, and the main office of the successful bidder will all have these offices. The public can come in on Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Schools and performances
As part of the Edificant Plan, the local governing body has also put on hold the contract for writing the project and keeping an eye on the Virgen del Carmen school building work. Ricardo Recuero, the Councillor for Education, told this newspaper that the City Council is waiting for permission from the Generalitat (Valencian regional government) to raise the cost of the work by €300,000 before it can put the project, which is worth about €2 million, out to tender. Finally, Alarcón said that the company Producciones Baltimore has been given the contract for the concerts for the patron saint festivities for 157,300 euros. The company Som 2011 has also been given the contract for the musical Mamma Mia! for 1.1 million euros.
Author: Derek Appleton
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