Madrid municipality joins secure bus travel programme

On 13 August 2021, Arganda del Rey, a municipality in the southern periphery of Madrid, joined the region's ‘Parada a demanda’ – ‘Bus stop on demand’ – programme. The beneficiaries of this programme are women and children who are now able to request that the bus driver makes an unscheduled stop along a route.

The Madrid region's public transport network includes 40 night lines of intercity buses, which connect 61 municipalities. This network covers all localities with more than 10,000 inhabitants in the region, and currently moves an average of 5,800 commuters every day. The aim of the ‘Parada a demanda’ service is to increase security for those from more vulnerable socio-demographic groups who are travelling at night. This service has been implemented on night buses in other localities of the Madrid region since 2020.

In order to benefit from the service, passengers must request an unscheduled stop at the preceding scheduled stop. This allows the driver to choose the most appropriate point at which to stop, as unscheduled stops cannot be made in areas which could create a dangerous situation for other road users. This includes places where visibility would be impeded, or places where stopping is prohibited by regulations. In addition, once a request is made, passengers are required to stand at the front of the bus and disembark using the front door.

The regional Minister of Transport, Mobility and Infrastructure, Ángel Garrido, stated: “On-demand stops contribute to improving the safety of women and minors by reducing their journey home from a public transport point. As we say in the campaign with which we want to publicise this initiative, we want the next stop to be your home and you can get there with peace of mind and safety”.