This process seeks to reorganize the 113 lines that connect the entire territory, modernizing the service and making it more efficient and rapid. To achieve this, direct routes will be increased, alternatives with fewer stops will be offered, and connections with metro and train stations will be improved.

Last year, Bizkaibus transported 30 million passengers, a record figure that positions it as the second most demanded public transport in Bizkaia, only behind the metro. The Foral Government has been drafting the specifications for over two years, which are now open for public exhibition as the starting point for an administrative process set to conclude next year with the awarding of new contracts.

Overall, the redesign of Bizkaibus represents one of the largest investments the Provincial Council must undertake this legislature. It is estimated that the operators in charge of the service will receive 1.980 billion euros over the next decade to cover operating costs. The previous tender, in 2014, required an initial allocation of 747.5 million, which has had to be increased several times.

Although the specifications are subject to modifications in the coming months, the Provincial Council does not foresee the creation of new lines, but rather the adaptation of existing ones to “new demand.” For instance, when the current service was designed, Urduliz Hospital did not exist, Usansolo was not an independent municipality, and Metro Line 3 was still three years away from operation.

Services to the UPV/EHU Leioa campus from regional capitals and so-called “multi-stage itineraries” will also be enhanced, meaning not all buses on a route will always make the same stops. The “highway lines” connecting important municipalities with the capital, such as Galdakao, Durango, Ermua, Mungia, Bermeo, Bakio, Muskiz, Portugalete, Santurtzi, Lekeitio, and Ondarroa, will also be consolidated.