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Date Published: 30/01/2024

New on-demand buses improve transport links between northern Murcia towns

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People in rural communities in northern Murcia will be able to call for a bus to their nearest town at a time that suits them

New on-demand buses improve transport links between northern Murcia towns

Several new on-demand bus routes are being launched that will crisscross the north of the Region of Murcia to improve connectivity in the area’s outlying districts and small villages.

Starting from Thursday February 1, the 7,741 residents who currently reside in 26 rural areas of Caravaca de la Cruz, Cehegín and Moratalla will have a bus service to travel to these municipalities whenever they wish.

Under the title ‘Ruralbús’, the on-demand transport network has been launched by the Murcia government as part of a series of measures to combat depopulation and improve the quality of life in rural areas.

The aim is to allow the inhabitants of these small, remote villages to be able to travel to their nearest large town centre whenever they want simply by placing a phone call at least 24 hours in advance. In this way, round-trip transportation will be available that day, even if it is only requested by one person.

It’s like a private bus-taxi, and the tickets will only cost €1.50 each way. To begin with, small 16-seat minibuses will be used, but these could later be replaced by vehicles with greater capacity if there is enough demand.

The annual budget to maintain this service will amount to a total of 550,000 euros, financed by the Region of Murcia government’s own funds and those from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

New bus stops and times

Since these routes are ‘on demand’, they change and adapt according to the needs of the passengers themselves.

That said, in general, departures are scheduled on weekdays at around 9.30am-10am and 4.30pm-5pm. Returns from the larger towns to the villages are scheduled for around 1.30pm and 8.30pm.

Two routes from Moratalla and two others from Cehegín will run on Saturdays.

The pilot phase of the scheme begins with eleven lines, which will link 26 rural villages in three municipalities:

Caravaca de la Cruz

Archivel
Barranda
Caneja
Benablón
Navares
Singla
Prados
La Encarnación
Pinilla
La Almudema

Cehegín

Canara
La Pilá
Algezares
Campillo de los Jiménez
Carrasquilla
Cañada de Canara
Valentín (with transport to Calasparra, too)
El Chaparral (with transport to Bullas, too)

Moratalla

Benizar
El Sabinar
Calar de la Santa
Campo de San Juan
Cañada de la Cruz
Mazuza
Otos
Casa Requena

All of these places have a very small population, which ranges between 31 inhabitants in Algezares (Cehegín) and 1,153 in Archivel (Caravaca de la Cruz), the only one with more than a thousand registered residents.

To request the bus service you only have to call the corresponding number (depending on the chosen destination) one day in advance. These phone numbers can be seen through this link to the Region of Murcia government website.

For more local news, events and visiting information go to the home page of Caravaca Today

Image: CARM

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