Catalonia enhances night bus safety with on-demand stops

This summer, Catalonia's Clic.cat nightline, which was initiated in February and connects Girona with Salt, Platja d’Aro, Palamós, and Palafrugell, is continuing its innovative on-demand stop service. This pilot project, launched by the Department of the Territory, aims to enhance safety on night bus services, particularly for young people and women. 

Traditionally, night buses only serviced central stops in each city or town, often making them inconvenient for nightlife goers. Addressing this concern, Catalonia introduced Clic.cat nightline, providing several on-demand stops near campsites and nightclubs along the existing night bus route.

Clic.cat is a digitised on-demand transport service accessible via an application. Since its inception in the Girona region in 2019, it has served nearly 42,500 travellers. The Department of Territory operates 38 Clic.cat lines, with plans to digitise and convert the remaining 197 Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) lines serving 712 municipalities into Clic.cat services. On-demand transport, which has set routes and schedules, operates only if there are prior reservations. This system allows for vehicle and route adjustments based on actual demand, thus preventing inefficient routes and reducing CO₂ emissions.

The nightline has now commenced its summer schedule, operating daily from Monday to Sunday until 31 August. From September to June, the service runs on weekends and the eve of public holidays.

The route includes 15 on-demand stops, with 7 on the outbound journey and 8 on the return. Buses make these stops or detours based on customer requests through the Clic.cat service via the NE-MI mobile application, which must be made up to one hour before the scheduled departure. The on-demand stops are strategically located at popular spots between Palamós and Sant Feliu de Guíxols, especially in leisure areas. This initiative aims to ensure that the most vulnerable users, particularly women and young people, can reach their destinations safely, minimising the time they spend walking alone and reducing exposure to potential risks.

Passengers can request stops for both their departure and arrival points. Additionally, the application allows users to track the bus in real time, providing the convenience of approaching the stop with minimal wait time.

Author: Jonathan De Vriendt

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.