San Gabriel denounces bus service cuts

Residents of the San Gabriel neighbourhood are increasingly discontented due to the cuts in public transport services. The reduction in schedules on bus line 1, which connects this area to the city centre, has caused significant dissatisfaction among users, who report excessive waiting times and the loss of connections with other transport modes.

Neighbourhood representatives met on Monday with the union section of Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) at Masatusa —a company belonging to Vectalia, the service concessionaire— to discuss the situation. During the meeting, the cancellation of routes at certain times and the lack of alternatives ensuring adequate mobility for residents were highlighted.

In a statement, residents expressed widespread discontent among workers, students, and the elderly who rely on the bus for daily travel. "The cut, affecting lines 1, 3, 6, 8, and 10 since July 14, was a mistake and an irresponsibility that harms users and also resulted in the non-renewal of contracts for twelve drivers," CCOO stated.

The union section points out that the City Council justified the cuts as a "summer adjustment," although —according to the union— the measure actually responds to the expiration of free transport cards. "The Council assumed, without public data to support it, that bus usage would decrease, and the result has been quite the opposite: further damage to the quality of public service in Alicante," they assert.

Union representatives remind that summer adjustments are usually intended to strengthen beach lines, not to reduce the overall service frequency. "This reduction has become a covert cut that they now attempt to consolidate," they warn.

"In a public service like urban transport, equity must be ensured. All citizens should have access to quality transport, regardless of the neighbourhood they live in," CCOO emphasizes.

The residents demand the Alicante City Council to reverse the cuts and strengthen line 1 to restore an adequate frequency. They also denounce that the Mobility Councillor, Carlos de Juan, "turns a deaf ear" to citizens' requests and has not provided a concrete response to the demands made.

Meanwhile, the San Gabriel neighbourhood announces that it will continue with protests "until a decent service is restored."