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Diario Euskadi

Public Transport Usage Soars in Bizkaia

Public transport users in Bizkaia have increased by 34% in three years, primarily due to the implementation of fare discounts.

Barik card being tapped on a public transport validator, with a blurred modern train station in the background.
IA

Barik card being tapped on a public transport validator, with a blurred modern train station in the background.

Public transport in Bizkaia has reached record user numbers, experiencing a significant 34% increase over three years, largely due to the introduction of fare discounts.

According to a report by the Bizkaia Transport Consortium (CTB), the main operators in the territory accumulated 215 million passengers last year, 17 million more than in 2024, which was already a record year. The metro is, by a wide margin, the operator that transports the most people, followed by Bizkaibus and Bilbobus. All three closed the last financial year with the best results in their history, as did the tram, Euskotren, and Renfe.
While several factors are driving the use of collective transport, the main reason is clear: the discounts applied to fares since the package of measures adopted by the central government to combat inflation caused by the invasion of Ukraine came into effect on September 1, 2022. Although most of that social shield has now expired, the reduction in ticket prices remains because its impact has been much more positive than anticipated.
In 2022, Bizkaia was already returning to normality after the pandemic, and public transport accumulated 160.6 million users. The current 215 million represent a 34% increase, despite the network not having undergone any expansions during this period. Furthermore, it frequently experiences moments of collapse due to breakdowns, mainly on the metro, and is not free from other issues affecting its daily operation, such as the indefinite strike by Bilbobus that lasted 79 days two years ago.
Growth has been sustained over the last three years, during which, in addition to the up to 50% fare reduction covered by administrations, other unprecedented measures have been implemented that are transforming mobility. For example, from January 1, 2025, young people up to 14 years old can travel for free on major operators if they have a personalized Barik card. This aims to facilitate their travel, foster loyalty among the new generation, and indirectly encourage their adult family members to follow suit.
Another contributing factor could be the Low Emission Zone (ZBE), which restricts older vehicles from circulating in central Bilbao. Coinciding with the implementation of more restrictions, the park-and-ride facilities that the metro has in Leioa, Ibarbengoa, Etxebarri, and the BEC saw a 9.5% increase in users last year. 423,000 people opted for this option, almost 20,000 more than in 2024 and 80,000 more than in 2023, when the ZBE did not exist. The exhibition center parking in Barakaldo has the largest capacity and is, logically, the most used.
After breaking the 200 million passenger barrier, the question is how much further public transport in Bizkaia can continue to grow. It is already clear that it will continue to expand. This is mainly because over the next five years, the metro will undergo one of the most significant transformations in its history. In addition to extending its route with two new lines—first line 5, reaching Galdakao and the hospital, and then line 4, connecting with the populous southern neighborhoods of Bilbao—the process to renew its trains is also underway. This multi-million euro contract will allow for increased frequencies and greater capacity for the subway system.
But that's not all. The Provincial Council has been immersed for over a year in designing the new Bizkaibus model, which should be implemented before the end of the decade. This will involve a review of all concessions and lines of the interurban buses in Bizkaia to adapt them to new needs. The current service was established over a decade ago, and the aim is to completely overhaul it. To make Bizkaibus more attractive to travelers, especially those who do not have the option of using the metro, the plan is to introduce lines with fewer stops that reach regional hubs or Bilbao faster by using the A-8 highway.
Pending what may happen in the future with the current discounts, which must be renewed annually by the Basque administrations and the CTB, provided the central government gives its prior approval, Euskadi has been discreetly working for some time on defining its own discount system. Although its implementation will still take time, it is known that it will be a progressive system where not all travelers will pay the same. The cost of each journey will vary depending on usage—more journeys, cheaper—age—there will be protected groups, such as young people, the elderly, and vulnerable individuals—and income. All this data will need to be collected via the Barik card, a complex process that will extend the timelines.

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