For more than 30 years, being registered on the padrón in Torrevieja has come with a particularly useful perk: free travel on the town’s urban buses.
That is about to change.
Torrevieja Council is due to give final approval today, Monday 28 September, to a new fare system. This will see most passengers start paying for local buses during October.
The precise date when charging will begin has not yet been announced. The council had already scheduled the new ticketing and fare system for October as the second phase of its overhaul of urban transport.
For Torrevieja’s large international population, the biggest change is simple: being on the padrón will no longer automatically mean free bus travel.
How much will Torrevieja buses cost?
Under the tariff proposal going before the council today, a single journey will
cost €1.50.
Regular passengers will be able to buy a standard travel pass offering 10 journeys for €11 or 20 for €22. Either option brings the cost down to €1.10 per journey.
There will also be a Bono 30, giving unlimited travel for 30 days for €44.
For occasional visitors, the new Tourist Card will cost €10 for three days or €18 for seven days. This offers unlimited journeys during the chosen period.
Who will still travel free?
The new Bono Oro, or Gold Pass, will provide free unlimited bus travel for people aged over 65, pensioners and people with a recognised disability of more than 33%.
There is an important condition: applicants in these groups must have been registered on the Torrevieja padrón for more than a year.
A physical Bono Oro card will cost €5 to issue, although there will be no issue charge for the digital version.
Children under four can also travel without paying when accompanied by someone with a valid ticket, provided the child does not occupy a seat.
Cheaper fares for some passengers
A special travel pass will bring the price down to €0.88 per journey.
It will cost €8.80 for 10 journeys or €17.60 for 20 and will be available to people under 26, large families and people who have been unemployed for more than two years.
The pass will be personalised and applicants will need to prove that they meet the relevant conditions. Long-term unemployed applicants will also need current employment documentation and evidence of actively seeking work during the previous two months.
Simply being a student will not qualify someone for the discounted pass once they are 26 or older.
Can you change buses on one ticket?
This is particularly relevant following Torrevieja’s recent changes to its bus routes.
Most passes will allow passengers to change lines within one hour. The €1.50 single ticket is the exception and does not include a transfer.
The transfer issue has attracted attention in southern residential areas including Rocío del Mar, Los Altos and Los Balcones, where some passengers now need to change at Torrevieja University Hospital to reach the town centre.
Operator Avanza says the council has raised passengers’ concerns and possible solutions are under consideration.
Why is free travel ending?
Torrevieja’s new bus network began operating at the end of July, but the new fares did not start at the same time.
The fare regulations have gone through a lengthy administrative process, including the correction of an error involving the VAT rate used during an earlier stage. As a result, buses have continued operating under the existing free system while the council completes the tariff process.
The current proposal is also more expensive than the figures the council initially published in June. That announcement listed a €1.35 single fare, €9 for 10 journeys and €38 for the 30-day pass.
The figures now heading for final approval are €1.50, €11 and €44 respectively.
When will passengers start paying?
That remains the missing piece of the puzzle.
The council has said the new fare system will arrive during October, but the exact start date has not yet been made public.
Until then, the existing free arrangement remains in place.
For residents accustomed to hopping aboard without paying, however, October will mark a major change to a system Torrevieja has operated for decades.
Where do Torrevieja’s bus routes go?
The new network also changes how passengers move around Torrevieja, with a circular service and eight numbered routes connecting the town centre with residential areas, hospitals, health centres, shopping areas and La Mata.
The Circular Line will concentrate on journeys around the town centre. It links Avenida Doctor Gregorio Marañón with the bus station, Municipal Sports Centre and Acequión Health Centre, and will offer the most frequent service for central journeys.
Line 1 runs between Torrevieja University Hospital, Los Altos, Punta Prima and Rocío del Mar, while Line 2 connects the hospital with Los Balcones and Lago Jardín.
Line 3 links Avenida Doctor Gregorio Marañón with Desiderio Rodríguez, Mar Azul and Torrevieja University Hospital.
Lines 4 and 5 both serve the shopping centres and La Siesta Health Centre. Line 4 also connects with La Torreta, while Line 5 continues to San Luis.
Line 6 connects the centre with the Municipal Sports Centre, Quirón Hospital, International Auditorium and La Mata Health Centre. It will also provide special services to the street market and the auditorium when events take place.
Line 7 links Avenida Doctor Gregorio Marañón with Ramón Gallud, Avenida de París and La Mata.
Finally, Line 8 connects central Torrevieja with Cabo Cervera, the bus station and La Mata, strengthening public transport connections along the northern coastline.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- Torrevieja plans to introduce its new urban bus fares during October.
- The exact date when passengers will start paying has not yet been announced.
- A single journey will cost €1.50 and will not include a transfer.
- Standard passes will cost €11 for 10 journeys or €22 for 20.
- The Bono 30 will provide unlimited travel for 30 days for €44.
- Tourist Cards will cost €10 for three days or €18 for seven.
- People over 65, pensioners and people with a disability above 33% can qualify for free travel through the Bono Oro if they meet the padrón requirement.
- Simply being registered on the Torrevieja padrón will no longer give most residents free bus travel.
