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Eight Municipalities in Lea Artibai Demand Direct Bizkaibus Connections

Led by EH Bildu, local councils are calling for improved lines to Bilbao, hospitals, and the university.

Generic image of an empty bus stop in the Lea-Artibai region, with green landscape.
IA

Generic image of an empty bus stop in the Lea-Artibai region, with green landscape.

Eight municipalities in the Lea Artibai region, under the leadership of EH Bildu, have demanded improvements to the Bizkaibus service, calling for direct connections to Bilbao, hospitals, and the university.

The municipalities of Lea Artibai, including Ondarroa, Lekeitio, Markina, as well as Berriatua, Bolibar, Mendexa, Munitibar, and Aulesti, have stated that the Bizkaibus project designed by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia does not meet the daily mobility needs of the region's citizens. These EH Bildu-led councils emphasize that for the 25,000 inhabitants of the area, Bizkaibus is a "fundamental and strategic service for social and economic cohesion".
Markina's mayor, Iratxe Lasa, speaking on behalf of the coalition's mayors at a press conference outside the provincial offices, urged the Council to "take the submitted allegations with complete seriousness because Lea Artibai cannot continue to be a second-class region in terms of mobility".
Key demands include increasing the frequency and direct services between Ondarroa and Lekeitio and Bilbao, including on weekends. "Currently, the journeys are too long, which is why many users choose not to use Bizkaibus," they noted.
They also consider it essential for young people to have direct connections to the EHU's Leioa campus. "Nowadays, they are forced to make not one, but up to four transfers," they explained, "they must be guaranteed the same options as in other regions".
Another significant request concerns communication with the Usansolo-Galdakao hospital, which provides specialized healthcare coverage for Lea Artibai. They are demanding a direct service, stating, "Going to the doctor is not an option, but a necessity, and therefore the current long and uncomfortable journeys with countless stops are unacceptable," they pointed out.
The leaders of almost all the region's town councils have also highlighted the need for nighttime public transport. "The lack of this service pushes citizens to use private vehicles with the consequent safety risks," they stated.
Similarly, they are asking the provincial institution for special services during nighttime hours to ensure safe mobility during festivals. "For now, we are the ones covering this cost with the gababus when it should be the Diputación's responsibility," they criticized.
In parallel, they have encouraged residents to submit their own allegations through the citizen service departments of their respective town halls, which will then forward them to the provincial Department of Transport. The deadline is this Friday.

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