Torrevieja’s long-awaited new public transport service has begun operating with at least 18 ageing buses transferred from previous routes in the Basque Country, Madrid and Benidorm.
The used vehicles account for more than half of the 32 buses required for the expanded network. Some are reportedly more than 12 years old and have recorded between 800,000 and 1.3 million kilometres.
Four buses formerly operated as part of the Bizkaibus service in the Durango area. Their onboard displays still show the Basque phrase “Geralekua eskatuta” when passengers request a stop.
A further nine vehicles previously operated in Madrid, while five blue buses have been transferred from Benidorm.
Concessionaire Avanza says the buses are being used only during a transitional period while a permanent fleet is manufactured. The arrangement is permitted under the contract, which allows vehicles up to 14 years old to be operated temporarily.
The new fleet, expected to enter service between March and June 2027, will comprise 26 hybrid and six fully electric buses.
Avanza will receive approximately €115 million over the ten-year contract, equivalent to around €11 million annually. The service officially began at the end of July after more than six years of administrative procedures by Torrevieja’s Partido Popular-led council.
The company said producing and delivering an entirely new fleet was a complex process requiring considerable time. Until the permanent vehicles arrive, buses already owned by the operator and previously used elsewhere in Spain are covering the expanded network.
However, drivers and passengers have reported problems with the temporary fleet. Vehicles are said to suffer regular mechanical faults, sometimes forcing them out of service and affecting frequencies and timetables.
One of the most common complaints concerns defective air-conditioning systems during the hottest period of the year. Passengers also lack several features normally expected from a modern transport network, including bank-card payments, mobile ticket validation and reliable real-time arrival information.
The revamped network includes 12 routes—nine daytime services and three night routes—with wider coverage and more frequent buses. Its digital services will be introduced gradually.
For now, passengers can either pay the €1.60 fare in cash or use Torrevieja’s resident citizen card. Registered residents can continue travelling free until October.
Another major source of criticism is the decision to require many passengers from southern residential areas—including Los Balcones, Los Altos, Rocío del Mar, Señorío de Gomendio and Punta Prima—to change buses at Torrevieja Hospital.
Some journeys now require two or even three buses. These passengers represent a significant proportion of users, particularly during winter.
Transport councillor Antonio Vidal has not publicly addressed questions raised about the problems affecting the service’s introduction.
The bus stops also remain largely unchanged. Around 200 stops require new shelters, signs and passenger information systems, while two transport interchanges must still be constructed.
Almost all stops are eventually expected to display real-time arrival information. However, those improvements are the responsibility of Torrevieja City Council rather than Avanza and are not expected to be completed until early 2027.
The eventual arrival of the permanent low-emission fleet should deliver a major improvement, including modern ticketing, card payments and digital information. Until then, passengers must rely on heavily used vehicles beginning their second—or, in some cases, third—working life.
