Stops on demand for women and minors in all night interurban bus lines Madrid

The Community of Madrid has introduced on-demand bus stops for women and minors on all city nightline buses. The pioneering initiative makes it possible to for women and children under 18 years of age to request a stop at any point along the route within the urban area.

“On-demand stops help improve the safety of women and minors by reducing their journey home from public transport”, said the Councillor for Transport, Mobility and Infrastructure, Ángel Garrido, at the start of an information campaign ‘Next stop, your house’, aimed to explain the use of these stops and promote their use. “As we say in the campaign, we want the next stop to be your home and that you can get there safely without you having any worries or concerns about your safety. The measure is part of the regional government's strategy to promote a culture of public transport and to reinforce policies to support and protect women and minors”, Garrido detailed.

The new service started at the beginning of December following a successful pilot which started in January this year on six night lines. As it is considered a success, the service has now been extended to all 40 night lines of intercity buses, transporting an average of 5,800 travellers every day across the 61 Madrid municipalities.

Women and minors who want to get off the bus must personally inform the driver, with a stop in advance, where they want to get off. In general, no stops will be made in places where stopping could create traffic risks and buses will only stop where there is a sidewalk with a minimum width of 1.5 metres. If stops cannot be made at the requested location, drivers will opt for the nearest alternative.