Student representatives presented this demand at the Sustainable Mobility commission held this Tuesday at the Gipuzkoa General Assemblies. This is a long-standing demand that, despite gaining momentum over a year ago, has not progressed, leading to a situation where "access to public university is not truly on equal terms".
“"Young people are asked to act responsibly, use public transport, and adopt sustainable habits, but they are not always offered the necessary conditions to do so. We cannot ask them to leave their cars at home if public transport does not meet their real needs."
Currently, and since May 2024, two student associations organize the bus service and receive subsidies from the Mobility Department of the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council. One organizes buses from Donostia to Leioa via Zarautz, and the other covers Zestoa, Azpeitia, Azkoitia, and Elgoibar. They argue that "the current situation is not accessible and places are limited," stating that the present solution is "a patch that works, but it is not a long-term solution".
Beyond the existing service between Eibar and Leioa, students explained that with regular lines, "someone living in Donostia has to take two buses to reach the Leioa campus, and those living in other towns in Gipuzkoa must add at least one more, meaning they have to take at least six buses a day to study." They added that "in Bizkaia, there are 22 lines that go to Leioa".
They have denounced that bus services "do not adapt to the university rhythm" and that the "complications" in finding optimal public transport lead to "certain studies being set aside, so it is no longer just about preference for certain degrees, but also the existing possibilities of access to reach the study center".
Another solution is to rent a room in Leioa or Bilbao, an alternative for which they have provided figures. "Rent can be between 400-500 euros per room per month, plus another 50 in expenses. Conservatively, the total amount for housing alone can be at least 4,500 euros, and if we consider that public tuition can be around 1,400 euros, the advantage of attending a public university is reduced compared to choosing a private one".
For these reasons, they stated that "in recent years we have seen how facilities are rightly given to Gipuzkoans to travel between capitals, to go to an airport, to go to football matches, to replace lines cut by Renfe works, to go to town festivals or even to go to a cider house," concluding that "there are buses for many things and we are still waiting for facilities to go to class as well".
